First view of Jupiter

[Slimstar]

Saw jupiter for the first time this morning.

However the image is very blurry, all I can make of it is a tiny orange disk. Is that normal? What do I need to look out for to get a better view?

I am using a celestron 130slt with 9mm eyepiece. Magnified 72x

[stevend]

How does it compare to Qualia's sketch in this thread http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/196278-what-can-i-expect-to-see/ ? Yes Jupiter can appear as a small orange disk but the equatorial bands should be visible, I see them at 66x and so should you at 72x. The only time I have had a blurry image is when looking at Jupiter rather optimistically in twilight.

I am therefore inclined to think that maybe conditions were poor and/or your EP is not helping. Is that the stock Celestron 9mm because mine was awful ?

I usually view Jupiter at either 125x or 188x, in my experience it takes magnification very well.

[Slimstar]

Yes, mine is the stock celestron 9mm.

It is not as big as the sketch, maybe the size of the saturn's sketch. I can't really make up the equatorial bands. Just a blur orange ball.

Yes, the light pollution is quite bad here. What is EP?

I will give it a try again later.

Thanks for the help!

[stevend]

EP = eyepiece.

[Pete Presland]

isnt still quite low at in the morning, even in Malaysia? viewing will get better as it rises earlier and you are looking through less atmosphere.

[Slimstar]

Hi bunnygod1

Yea, it is quite low still. You are right. That might be the problem.

[Qualia]

Hiya Slimstar,

In my experience, a 4" will reveal some detail on Jupiter, a 6" a little more and a 10" a whole load more. But in all these cases you need time to observe. If you look casually through your scope or one of mine, have a quick five minute gander, you'll say to me, 'I saw a white-creamy disk with one or two orangy-brown bands on it.'  And yes, that is the first impression we all get, but to go beyond that we need to work.

Your 5" will reveal a significant amount of detail but you need to sit quietly for quite sometime, relaxed in a comfortable position and allow your eyes to respond to the faint delicate markings, the subtle lanuage of whisps and desert shades which are present on the Jovian disk.  Visual observing is quite hard work but the more you do it the better you get and the more you will see.

The problem right now is that Jupiter isn't really in a great position to be viewed with attention. It's not rising from the horizon until around 3am UTC and by the time it's in a good position to start a concentrated effort of observing, we're nearing dawn. If you're still up when it shows itself, then have an enjoyable peak, but realise that you're having to cut through a lot of atmosphere which is going to compromise your viewing experience. Personally, I wouldn't get involved with the mighty planet until a couple of months from now. That is, try to view Jupiter as close to the zenith as possible.

When it comes to Jupiter, good seeing conditions override problems with light pollution and assuming your collimation is spot on the right magnification for Jupiter - as with most celestial objects - is relative to the seeing conditions. So long as the disk is sharp and well focused, we're doing alright. On an average night, Jupiter should easily handle around 160x in your scope and on a good night, you may be able to tweak 200x to 250x.

I've found a light blue filter (Wratten 80a) sometimes helps to bring out subtle band features and others swear by Wratten 11 or 12 but with these I haven't had too much success and most times, I prefer observing Jupiter without any kind of filter.

Hope this helps a little

[Digger1895]

It may just be the timing. At the moment here in Brisbane I only have around 30 minutes of viewing before the early morning sky glow affects it, which is quite awhile before the sun actually arises

[Digger1895]

The above is my timing once Jove has risen above the houses to my east. Is there a way to edit posts instead of reposting?

[stevend]

The above is my timing once Jove has risen above the houses to my east. Is there a way to edit posts instead of reposting?

When you reach 250 posts you will be able to edit them for a short time after posting.