maw lod qan

Talk on the news today says NASA is launching a probe in 2026 to do some close up looking at Saturn's largest moon. They showed it would use a flying drone that would be able to fly around to different areas. I'm not sure I'll be around in 15 years to see the end results. I do have a question. After the space craft is on the way, what do the project scientists and engineers do during the 8 years it'll take to get there? Take turns yelling out "are we there yet?"

Absolutely beautiful.

My first view stuck in my mind forever. Just a cheap 3" reflector, but I knew it was really the ringed planet I was looking at. 10 decades later when I got back in it, it was one of my first go to targets.

I am one of those with the "I can do that" attitude. Not much i haven't tried or done. Sometimes, that way of thinking can and will get you in trouble.

Very beautiful scope! I hope it gives you many years of enjoyable viewing.

An interesting thread. I have to admit I think there has been a mind set for some time of "I want it bigger and better" here in the States. So many of our parents raise the children to try and do better than they did. A bigger house, a better car. Perhaps that just migrates over to the telescopes. Bigger seems better. Big houses, we started small and crowded. Like when you go too long hungry, when we finally built our home we built big. Also, back in the 80's when we built, code required 5 acres at that time. Many areas still do. We have quite a few regulations regarding renting out a private apartment, like something over a garage. But some of the issues with cars, gas use and public transportation is simple. This is a big country. I drive 30 miles one way to work. I know some who drive almost 75 one way. Where I live, we've never had public transportation. The nearest Amtrak train is 150 miles on the Atlantic side of the state. We've got some good points and some bad. Yes, thankfully we do seem to have good weather, most of the time. I feel for you when I try to imagine months of clouds.

I've seen many images here on SGL that would give them a run for the money! My hats off to you all. Though I probably will never takes images like all the ones I've seen here, you give me inspiration and hope.

I try to imagine what it takes to image from a moving airliner, all the vibrations, though small, let alone the actual speed its moving. Goes to show you what unlimited funding can accomplish.

Very nice. Hope to take the next step from my Canon to a more appropriate camera soon. Not looking forward to another learning session. My timing here in Fla always seems to put the GRS out of my viewing times.

Great image. Thanks for showing what the C9.25 is capable of.

Wonderful images! You just can't help liking to look at Jupiter every chance you get.

I guess that's one of the great mysteries we still have to figure out. Kind of like the Big Bang. We do know they both happened, just haven't worked out the exact process.😉

Incredible image.

Great image. When you look at a crater like this and see the areas of ejecta surrounding it, wouldn't you like to just once, actually witness it happen? From a safe distance of course!😮

Sooner hopefully rather than later, the concept of it's in the habitable zone, or as it's been termed before, "the Goldie Locks zone", has to be rethought. As long as we continue to look for planets that would support "our life form" the pickings will be somewhat limited. Who's to say there is not some life form who would be perfectly happy in some atmospheres we could never tolerate? Once we start thinking in those terms, the possibility for other life in the universe becomes an almost assured possibility. The distances will keep us from knowing.

Amazing. Watched it from South Carolina, and wonder if I'll get to see another one! Planning for 2024.

Excellent! Spread the word and the knowledge! Late last month after 4 days of trying, things worked out for my #1 SIL's parents to look through my 8" DOB. I think it could have been their first time, ever to look through a telescope! It got me how they would step back from the telescope and look up at the tiny bright speck that really had rings around it. Made me smile!

Both are beautiful. We live on a wonderous planet!

As bad as I'm wanting to make a few witty comments, the very tiny voice in my head is saying don't, don't! So for this time, I'll listen.🙄

2am on a work day? I'm just making coffee and getting ready. I start at 4am. Now on a non work day, I will go out to the observatory, but why not. I'm already wide awake? If work permits, and an opportunity presents itself, I just can't resist. Even if it's just to image a full moon.

If I remember correctly, Jupiter being so large, it is the only planet where the central gravitational point between it and the Sun, is outside the Sun. We view it and know it's big, but to be large enough for everything in the solar system, except the Sun, to fit inside it, takes it from big to enormous.

I remember reading it was out of our line of sight. Amazing the effort they took retasking every available satellite to image such an unbelievable incident. The results were eye opening to say the least.

Did it migrate in a regular shaped orbit around the sun? Or in an elipitcal shaped orbit, similar to a comet? The forces either way would be incredible for it to eventually end up so distant from the sun in the orbit it's in now.

I've found the difference between carrying out everything related with just an 8" DOB and walking out, rolling the roof back, then pointing it at what ever, definitively makes it easier to walk out at the odd times of night or morning. Had a gentleman who gave the show at a local planetarium comment, even a simple observatory is wonderful!

Got home past my bedtime, 7:30 - 8:00, and saw the clouds had moved out leaving the moon showing nicely in the evening twilight. The terminator was positioned so the Mare Imbrium was perfect for viewing. To my surprise the air was clear enough I was able to use a 4mm and 1.5 Barlow. Plato lacked detail being too far out of line with the terminator, but smaller craters like Le Verrier and Helicon were excellent! This was the first time I just observed in some time, leaving the camera inside. For almost thirty minutes I took in the smaller craterlets and distinct ridges that had formed on the lava surface. Researching later, I found it amazing they believe this Mare was formed by an impact by a planetoid 50 miles in size. Makes me glad we weren't around to witness the Heavy bombardment period!