Take the perfect astrophoto with our step-by-step guide <\/p>\n\n
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY <\/span><\/h5>\n\n
CAPTURE<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lunar occultations of planets <\/h2>\n\n
How to image a far-from-easy Uranus disappearing behind the Moon on 14 September <\/p>\n\n
Choose how to showcase your results. This Saturn shot highlights the brightness difference between the planet and the Moon <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
Occultations of the planets by the Moon aren\u2019t very common and when they happen, all fingers are crossed for clear skies. If the weather holds good for the lunar occultation of Uranus on 14 September, there will be a lot of interest in the little planet, certainly more than it normally gets. <\/p>\n\n
Unlike the main planets closer to the Sun, Uranus appears dim, right on the threshold of naked-eye visibility. It\u2019s also rather distant and looks small even through a sizable telescope. This presents issues with visually observing the event as well as some awkward problems when trying to image it. <\/p>\n\n
These will be exacerbated by the fact that the start of the occultation will involve the Moon\u2019s bright limb passing in front of the planet. Setting up captures for Uranus will certainly overexpose the Moon, while exposing for the lunar surface may mean Uranus is lost from the shot altogether. <\/p>\n\n
Fix upon framing <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
There are various imaging setups that can be used for this. First consider how you want to record the view: a wide field to cover the whole Moon or a riskier narrow field zoomed in on the planet? The latter isn\u2019t that hard to organise for the disappearance event, but adds uncertainty in when Uranus reappears from behind the Moon\u2019s dark limb: here you\u2019ll need your best guess as to where the planet will reappear. <\/p>\n\n
Then there is the choice of whether to produce an image that is visually and scientifically accurate, or one that is an enhanced version of reality. The latter is perfectly acceptable as long as you state what you have done and the steps that led to the final image. Better still, consider combining both techniques to show the scientific aspects together with an enhanced version to better show what\u2019s happening.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
This will entail performing the best capture of Uranus you can manage before the occultation, along with a separate capture optimised for the lunar surface. Ideally these should be taken around 30 minutes before or after the occultation. Or, to play it safe, both before <\/span>and <\/em>after the occultation \u2013 just to be sure!<\/span><\/p>\n\n
During the event, the emphasis should be on exposing for Uranus: disregard the appearance of the lunar surface, which will almost certainly be over-exposed. The purpose of this capture will be to provide accurate positional information for the event. If possible, when the planet and Moon are in the same shot, make a note of the settings for Uranus and reduce the exposure to take a quick image of the Moon. This will help you figure out just where Uranus is in respect to the features on the lunar surface. <\/p>\n\n
With a capture like this, practice makes perfect. If you get clear weather on any of the nights in the run up to the occultation, use them to practise imaging Uranus and the Moon so that on the night you\u2019ll know exactly what to do. But if something does go wrong, remember there\u2019s a similar event due to occur in the early evening of 5 December. <\/p>\n\n
Equipment: camera, telescope, polar-aligned equatorial tracking mount <\/p>\n\n
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