The planets 2006

[Jamie]

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/051230_night_sky.html

[GazOC]

I think I'll have a go at chalking up the last planet on my 'to do' list this year. Pluto.

[FLO]

Great find Jamie

[Astroman]

Holly Cow! And it's Space.com! They got it right! I feel faint...

Gaz: What's your scope again? Pluto is an excercise in patience, if nothing else. Topping out at ~m=13, it's not much to see. Hint: Get really good charts and look for it on a couple consecutive nights. Watch for movement of the star field. That's Pluto.

We checked out Pluto a few years ago at the Grand Canyon with great charts and a 28" Newt. It was unspectacular, really underwhelming.

Uranus however was a largish disk, with 7 or 8 moons visible that moved from night to night! What was really cool though, was we were observing Uranus with a person that had discovered the latest 9 moons, using movies taken by frames from HST. Great week, that one.

[GazOC]

Astroman,

I've got a 10" f5 Newt under Mag 5.5 ish skies, it should be doable do you think? I know it will be nothing to look at but I'd just like to "chalk it up"....

Nice story on the Uranus moons, I must admit I've only seen the planet a few times and I didn't even think to look for moons.

Gaz

[GazOC]

I've just checked on its going to be very tricky, it will be about mag 13.8 but it's highest elevation from where I am is around 21 degrees.

[Astroman]

Gaz: Pluto shouldn't be a problem for you, then. Good charts make all the difference! I saw it in my C8 using Cartes de Ciel and data from USNO. Worked like a charm.

[Greg]

Excellent one Jamie!!!

Good find.

Greg

[tom.yates]

Good find that Jamie.

Tom.