Jupiter and Saturn viewing over the forthcoming years

[Starhoparfa]

Hi All,

I've been playing with the time/date/year feature on Stellarium to track the constellations in which these two will appear over the coming years. It appears that they're dropping lower and lower in the sky over the next 5-10 years and won't rise again to a reasonable height in the sky until 2020ish in the case of Jupiter and 2030ish in the case of saturn.

Now I know that light pollution doesn't really affect planetary viewing but I would assume that the amount of atmosphere you're looking through will.

So, have we had the best of it for a good while, in the case of Saturn especially? Or, does the distance in astronomical units between earth and each gas giant matter more to viewing?

Thanks

[fredster]

Jupiter is good for a few more years (2012-2014) but dips badly there after (2015-2020). Saturn has already started its big dip and doesn't recover until 2026. But Mars make a come back in 2020 too. The depressing thing is they are all only 17deg above horizon from 2016-2020, and that is real bad, no other way of putting it.

[Dunkster]

We need to do what the birds do (fly south)...

A bit gutted about Saturn for the next few years, my low southern view is all streetlights

[cotterless45]

Same here, also got a huge oak tree growing in the primary school on my southern horizon. Just when I'm going to view it seems to align itself right in the way. Same thing happens with the only bit of cloud in the sky!

Nick.

[Eigen]

I see two solutions:

1: Move south.

2: Invest in an enormous dob and start hunting galaxies.

It will be two for me, will probably sell most of my planetary scopes in those years to fund the dob. Without the big two and Mars, I don't know...

Mercury, Venus I find to be amusing but my interest quickly fades...

I always enjoy Uranus, even though it is a small pale blue disk, I find it fascinating in anything 8inches+, it is great especially now high up in the sky and opposition was not long ago.

Neptune is ok as well.

At the end of the day none of the planets that will be available in decent viewing positions allow one to test optics and the effects of new premium ep's etc.

That makes me a sad panda.

[saturn4me]

Oh darn!!!!

That makes me an unhappy bunny!!

[JimFR]

We need to do what the birds do (fly south)...

A bit gutted about Saturn for the next few years, my low southern view is all streetlights

Get yerself a portable, and go for a jolly to somewhere dark. simples (not that I do of course - I mean to but... )

[JimFR]

Come on ! chin up, its only four years ! there is still the planetary nebulae of course...

[Dunkster]

Emoticons cannot express my sadness, especially now

[DirkSteele]

As others have already said, moving south for a few years is a solution that would yield results. I just recently returned from Oman where Jupiter was passing within 3 degrees of the Zenith and with the 4" Apo I had taken with me, had the best views of Jupiter I have seen in 20 years of looking through telescopes.

[LukeSkywatcher]

As i always say..............."planets come and go but DSO's last forever".

There are many many many more DSO's out there then there are planets.

[Bart]

i love my DSOs, but the planets are the glory jobs, aren't they? Its a great shame, can't we get Europe to intervene and change that, they intervene with everything else.....oops, that just slipped out..