Amateur astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy has set an impressive record Saturn Last Sunday (14), when the planet was in its orbit point closest to Earth, an event known as “opposition”.
During this period, when the Earth is between Saturn and the Sun, it is possible to observe the planet with the naked eye and it is the best time to take clear images of more intense brightness.
McCarthy, who lives in Arizona, USA, went to Los Angeles to take pictures in a clear sky, as the weather in his city was cloudy.
Use two cameras, place them on top of a building, and take over 100,000 images of Saturn to find the perfect shot and show the details of the planet’s famous rings.
Check out the pictures:
“This was captured with an 11-inch telescope and two cameras, one for color and one for detail,” McCarthy says. “It was created from over 100,000 individual photo frames taken over a period of approximately 30 minutes in the early morning hours,” he adds, explaining the records.
Opposition occurs every 54 weeks, so the next opportunity to witness Saturn’s opposition will be on August 27, 2023.
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