Very Poor Saturn!

[Stargazer33]

Very poor excuse for Saturn captured on Sunday night after a very frustrating couple of hours battling my laptop which kept switching itself off during the boot-up phase! After that I was having trouble with my programs and after giving up on guiding as I couldn't get a point light source star using PHD2, caused my M51 data to be next to useless!

As I was already cold and had wasted a couple of hours of much needed sleep I tried for Saturn which was just climbing above our hedge. It was still low down and the atmosphere was boiling away so it is nowhere near as good as my effort from last year.

Anyway, here it is and I can't believe that this is my first image post of this year apart from a couple in the 'Solar' section.

[Spoon]

I'd take that anyday!

Cam

[jambouk]

Well there is no arguing about what it is - very nice. The colours look good and there clearly is scope to resolve good detail as the Cassini division can easily be made out, and some banding. I've not managed anything of Saturn this year, and it's not looking likely either.

Good on ya.

James

[bish]

That's a nice pic. I will post you my Saturn if you want to see a 'very poor Saturn'!

[Stargazer33]

Thanks for the kind comments.

When I managed to get this one last year, it sort of puts things into perspective though.

Still, Saturn was very low (as it will remain for some time now) and well below the meridian so I suppose it isn't too bad for the first one of the season and after such a bad night technically. Oh how I miss those heady days (er...nights) of simple observing with the old eyeball Mk1!

[si@nite]

Well done for getting out there Bryan, a good effort in difficult conditions!

[Spoon]

Oh how I miss those heady days (er...nights) of simple observing with the old eyeball Mk1!

It's a bit more difficult now with all the LP around!!

[Pete Presland]

Looks a pretty decent image to be honest, Saturn is really tough this year and it was hard enough last year. I looked last night and it was pretty terrible, so bad i du=id not even bother to image!

[Stargazer33]

It's a bit more difficult now with all the LP around!!

The councils around here seem to be going over to a different type of street light. There isn't the old orange glow over Brighton that there used to be as you drive along the coast road. Not too sure that it is a good thing as the LP filters can't filter out the newer 'white' light; unless you are imaging in nb. Only time will tell once all the old sodium lights are replaced.

Thanks Pete! To be honest I wasn't really expecting too much, but after wasting so much time trying to get things working I had to try something and Jupiter was too low and M13 wasn't in a good position either so plumped for Saturn. Guess I just need to make more of an effort to get out there and practice my craft!