My biggest mistakes in planetary imaging are:  a) I am always too impatient to rest after an early morning session BEFORE touching the data and b) I take the data with me and process them on my netbook instead of processing them on my comfortable, calibrated 20" monitor at home. This of course results in me not producing the best images possible out of the data at hand. I'm still going through the data set but one particular avi stood out, that of 01:11 UT. Here's a reprocessed version of that with better color balance and limb issues corrected.

Opinions?

The amount of detail that comes out of planetary imaging attempts is directly proportionate to the amount of detail you put in to your preparation i.e. collimation!

I set up yesterday afternoon without any expectations for the morning since the forecasts were not at all favorable. I spent a good deal of time attempting to improve the collimation of the scope since it had shifted considerably due to a couple of trips to dark skies. Packed up, slept for 2 hours and got up again at 03:00 local to find Jupiter shining brightly and looking very very good! I must have been under a pocket of steady air as this data set is the most consistent and clear set I 've ever acquired! All 45 GB's of it! As a teaser, here is a first, very rough, attempt presented in 120 and 150%. Note that this set was acquired working at approximately f/30 with the actual f/ number soon to follow!

The weather conditions last night / this morning were nothing special but I could not stand another night away from the scope so I set up anyway hoping to catch some good seeing in the early morning hours. Lots of wind gusts meant I was unable to check the scope's collimation (which is severely off especially after two dark sky trips!) and so I could only shoot as is and hope for the best.

P.S. I also took another profile shot of the C9,25 with the DBK loaded!

I have been busy testing the 550 these past few weeks and I must say I'm very pleased with what I see.
I shot a couple of Messier objects from Xyliatos on the 23rd and took some panoramic shots from Amiantos on the 30th.

I used Backyard EOS for the Messier objects, a software I highly recommend to all EOS users! Full imaging automation from exposure planning to live focusing and guiding! Awesome!
So here are the shots. My CG5 mount was really struggling to hold the C9,25 with the camera so I had to make due with 15sec unguided shots. The wide field shots taken on the 30th are unprocessed!

Finally, after a few months without a DSLR, I am now the excited new owner of a Canon EOS 550D! I just picked it up yesterday and I must say, so far, I am EXTREMELY surprised at the power and capabilities of this camera! This is going to be a fun summer! 

Finally!

Following a very long stretch of bad weather, last night was remarkably clear. Checking the seeing predictions showed fair seeing likely and so I took the decision to set up for the first try at Jupiter for the 2011/12 season! Got up at 04:00 local and opened up the C9,25 which spent the night outside cooling. Jupiter was nowhere to be seen! A quick glance behind the neighbors wall revealed the planet far higher up North than I had expected! By the time it cleared the wall the background sky was bright blue!

It felt good returning to the early morning sessions with comfortable temperatures, great seeing and the serenity of the dawn sky. Here's a preview from 02:39 UT featuring Io, Io's shadow transit & Oval BA.
The planet looks vastly different from last time I observed it with the SEB still re-generating. The season ahead should be spectacular, especially since Jupiter will climb to a much higher altitude! 

Occultation (wiki): An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer.
On June 30 we will have the opportunity to observe the Moon cover and uncover the planet Venus in the early morning sky. The phenomenon begins with the Moon slowly passing in front of Venus at 09:06 Local Time (06:06 UT) and reappearing at 10:28 LT (07:28 UT). Due to the phenomenon's close proximity with the Sun (approx. 13 degrees to the east) anyone who attempts to view or photograph it should be EXTREMELY CAREFUL not to accidentally point a telescope at the Sun while looking for the objects. The Sun's intense luminosity amplified through a telescope will cause severe injury to the careless individual.



Click the image below to view how Anthony Ayiomamitis captured a similar event on June 18, 2007 as well as his
collection of occultations!

It was a thriller! Here in Nicosia we lost the phenomenon up to totality due to thick clouds & fog, occasionally getting glimpses through holes in the clouds. Halfway through the event the skies gradually opened and we got to witness the exit from totality all the way to the end!

I had arranged to meet with Pampos & the others at Akropolis Park so we could set up our joined equipment: My CG5 mount with Pampos's Vixen ED81S & 450D. Due to the clouds we were unable to get a decent polar alignment or even get the focus right which resulted in mostly soft images up to mid-totality. Once the skies opened I was able to fix the focus and we enjoyed the end of the eclipse with decent results!