Saturn – April 21, 2011
This planetary image of Saturn was captured using a Celestron NexStar 4SE and NexImage planetary camera. Observing conditions were challenging — windy skies with intermittent clouds — so several techniques were used to maximize image stability and focus accuracy.
To reduce vibration from wind and mount movement, Celestron Vibration Suppression Pads were placed under the tripod. For precise focus, a Bahtinov focus mask was used before recording video.
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| Saturn, Celestron NexStar 4SE, NexImage, Vibration Suppression Pads, Bahtinov mask, Astrophotography |
Video capture details:
Duration: 4 minutes (240 seconds)
Frame rate: 10 fps · Total frames: 2400
RegiStax 6 processing:
Align box: 3×3 · 10 alignment points
Drizzle optimization enabled
Wavelets: Gaussian · Initial Layer 3 · Linked layers 1 & 2
RGB shift correction
Photoshop post-processing:
Crop · Luminosity layer · Saturation · Contrast · Unsharp Mask · Save for Web (JPEG)
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| Saturn, Celestron NexStar 4SE, NexImage, Astrophotography |
Second capture session:
Duration: 4 minutes 30 seconds (270 seconds)
Frame rate: 10 fps · Total frames: 2700
RegiStax 6 processing:
Align box: 3×3 · 11 alignment points
Drizzle optimization enabled
Gaussian wavelets · Linked layers 1 & 2 · RGB shift
Photoshop post-processing:
Crop · Curves · Contrast · Unsharp Mask · Despeckle · Save for Web (JPEG)
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| Bahtinov mask, Celestron 4SE, Brooklyn Astrophotography |
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| Celestron Vibration Suppression Pads |
Even with a small telescope like the Celestron NexStar 4SE, good planetary results are possible when focus, stability, and processing are handled correctly. Using a Bahtinov mask for precise focus, vibration suppression pads to reduce shake, and proper RegiStax 6 processing can make a bigger difference than aperture alone. In many cases, careful technique with a smaller scope can outperform a larger telescope used without attention to these details.
Related Celestron NexStar 4SE Astrophotography
- T-Adapter-C90 and Barlow T-Adapter (1¼″) with T-Ring for Canon EOS and Canon 40D
- The Moon Astrophotography — Celestron NexStar 4SE and Canon 40D
- Saturn Astrophotography — Celestron NexStar 4SE, NexImage, RegiStax
- RegiStax 6 — Saturn Astrophotography and Testing New Version
- Bahtinov Focus Mask — Astrophotography with Celestron NexStar 4SE
- RegiStax 6 vs RegiStax 5 — Jupiter Comparison with Celestron NexStar 4SE
