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Astrophotography by Eddie Guscott

Occultation of Saturn
On the night of 2/3 March 2007, Saturn was occulted by the Moon. This composite picture was taken just a few minutes prior to Saturn disappearing behind the Moon.
Date/Location: Corringham, Essex   2 March, 2007  
Equipment: C9.25 prime focus  
Camera/Exposure: Toucam Pro Webcam  
     
Notes: Due to the incredible brightness ranges involved, 3 AVI files were obtained just prior to the occultation - one for Saturn, one for the Moon and one for Saturn's moons. These 3 files were combined in Photoshop to produce this composite and the brightness has been adjusted to better reflect the eyepiece view.  

Below is a mosaic image of 3 pictures and represents the view just prior to Saturn being occulted.. The brightness levels are not real (Saturn has been brightened in proportion to make it visible). In reality, the Moon is approximately 9500 times brighter than Saturn.

(Click for larger view - 260Kb)

 

Below are 4 pictures showing the gradual disappearance of Saturn behind the Moon.

(Click for larger view - 360Kb)

 

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