Saturn Reprise from 2017

 

Saturn at a better altitude in 2017 - 127mm Meade Apo Refractor and QHY5-11 colour planetary camera. Pip Stakkert

" As the distance between Mars and Earth increases, the disc presented by the red planet decreases and is now much reduced from that imaged in autumn 2020. At the moment many of the other planets are in conjunction with the Sun and consequently practically unobservable. The Covid 19 pandemic and the recent run of challenging weather here on the UK's eastern coast has kept activity at the Jodrell Plank Observatory  to an absolute minimum. With time on his hands and a mask on his face, Pip Stakkert reprocessed this image of Saturn taken back in 2017 when weather conditions and the ringed planet's altitude conspired to provide the Jodrell Plank Team with an excellent imaging opportunity. The recently acquired Topaz Denoise software was used to sharpen this image. The dark 'Cassini Division' within the ring system is now clearly defined in this reprocessed image". Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.