Finally caught a clear shot of Saturn after 3 awful nights

I was out at Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania last week, and after 3 nights of clouds and wind shaking my tripod, I finally got a decent image. The first two nights I couldn't even focus right because the air was so unsteady, so I switched to a lower magnification and shorter exposure time. It's not magazine quality or anything, but I can actually see the rings clearly for the first time with my 8-inch Dobsonian. Anyone else have nights where the conditions just fight you the whole time?

3 comments

3 Comments

john65010d agoMost Upvoted

Used to think it was mostly the gear holding me back. Turns out the sky itself fights you just as much.

amy_coleman2110d ago

My buddy Matt spent like 2 grand on a new tent setup before a trip to Colorado last year lol. First night out, a microburst came through and snapped two of his poles like twigs. @john650 you're spot on, the sky doesn't care about your gear or your plans. He ended up sleeping in the car that night, whole trip was a mess. Nature's just out here humbling everyone, no matter what you bring.

shane_fisher379d ago

I mean, "the sky fights you just as much"? That's a little dramatic, isn't it? It's just bad weather, not like it's personally out to get you. I've had plenty of crummy nights that turned out fine once I chilled out and stopped treating it like a war.