Wow. First time with Jupiter and moons

[JulianFR]

Jupiter looked spectacular tonight (well, this morning really)... And I saw five (I think) moons. And I thought it was going to rain tonight. I used my Celestron 6mm Omni ep, which was pretty good, but eye relief limited. So quite a buzz for my son and I as this is the first planet we have seen in the 8" Dob. I imagine a filter of some sort might have helped show more detail on the disc. Out of interest how much more detail would I have seen with a 10" Dob? Would there be much difference?

[nerointegrale16v]

hi julian

congratulations

its wonderful tonight, i saw the moons last week and have come back for a look again

jupiter's moon this website will  identifies which  moons are visible

i have  8" newtonian so are seeing the same

more powerful eyepieces will show more detail

i dont know what filters will help

martin

[Qualia]

Lovely report, Julian and I'm glad you had a good time with your little one. With most of our amateur Earth bound telescopes the best we're going to see are the 4 Galilean Moons, the other 59 are just too dim and too small. There are quite a few instances of where a star masquerades quite well as a Jovian satellite, so I imagine you spotted an 8th magnitude star lying in the same field of view. I've checked a reference and it seems that the last Jovian moon to be discovered by direct visual observation was back in 1892 with a gorgeous 36" frac. 

In my experience, a 4" will reveal some detail on Jupiter and a 10" will reveal a whole load more. But in either case you need time to observe. If you look casually through the 4", 10" and your 8", have a quick five minute gander, you'll say to me in both cases, 'I saw a white-creamy disk with one or two orangy-brown bands on it.'  And yes, that is the first impression we'll all get, but to go beyond that we need to work. Your 8" 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 whisps of differing 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 see.

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 handles about 160x, last night I was able to maintain control at around 210x, good nights you may be able to tweak 250x, 300x or more. I've found a light blue filter (Wratten 80a, I think) sometimes helps 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 prefer observing Jupiter without a filter. I've also found Jupiter quite bright at times, so sometimes use a variable polarizing filter which I've had some relative success with.

Hope this helps

[Schorhr]

...wait until Saturn is up high again ;-)

Due to seeing / air turbulances a 8" will show most details, larger telescopes can even perform worse when the seeing is bad.

It really helps to be away from street lights, lit Windows and such, and after your eye adapts the amount of details you see increase.

My first Jupiter observation was a bit disappointing, but I kept watching, and then more and more details (bands, structure) appeared!

Also decent eyepieces, the right magnification level and color filters may help - even sun glasses if you just want to avoid the brightness of the planet shining over all details.

[bambuko]

I was doing exactly the same last night (my first).

Jupiter, it's moons and the star masquerading as one were beautiful indeed.

I was using Skywatcher 150p and with 10mm eyepiece and x2 Barlow the detail was amazing - and all this on my first night of observing  

It can only get better!

[Schorhr]

We need more planets!

[Qualia]

Here's an example of what I was able to tweak on the morning of the 14th. I started observing Jupiter at about 3:30am Spanish time but didn't pick up the pencils until about an hour later and spent another 45 minutes with the sketch. It's in black and white for the two-fold reason that significant colour wasn't discerned and sketching with a set of coloured pencils with tones of orange and brown isn't exactly easy when under a dim red light. The quick photo doesn't really do the sketch justice but it should give an idea of the kind of thing you'll be able to see at the moment with your 8"

[JulianFR]

Thanks all for the comments and the advice. Nero, that Sky & Telescope site showing the Jovian moons is great: so I must have seen a small star right next to Callisto; I thought it was odd to see a fifth moon. Qualia, I was aware of the bands on the disc but no detail. Proves your point also that I need to take time observing through the ep, not just taking quick looks. It was easier to view through the 10mm stock SW; the Celestron 6mm showed more of course but it was more tiring to use and I don't yet have the fluidity of nudging to keep the planet in view. I can't afford better eps yet so will persevere, maybe with a Barlow.

[Astro Imp]

Something not mentioned in any of the excellent posts above is that a better view will always be had when any object is high in the sky as you are looking through less atmosphere.

BTW forgot to congratulate you on your first WOW moment.

Clear skies and good luck.

[JulianFR]

I'm looking forward to seeing Jupiter, and the other planets higher in the sky later in the season. 

It was quite amazing seeing Orion climb above the horizon as well, with the belt, Betelgeuse and Rigel prominent. It was like a sleeping giant raising itself from slumber 

[Roger Fairhurst]

It's now nearly 2 years ago since I saw Jupiter and its moons for the first time.

I was in the Uk visiting the wife's family when my brother in law dragged me outside to look at Jupiter through his scope.

It was a very small refractor - 50mm at a guess and he mounted it on its tripod on the top of a wheelie bin to gain some height!!!!

We could see Jupiter quite clearly at around 30x magnification and the moons were clear too. It was this experience that set me off into astronomy at the tender age of 62. So even very modest equipment - scope or bins - has its place and has probably inspired more to take up the hobby than anything else.

I'm still waiting to see it for the first time through my new SW 150/750 - just a case of the right viewing conditions.

Kind regards

Roger

[Schorhr]

Have fun with the 6", it'll Show amazing views of Jupiter and Saturn, and deepsky, too :-)

[TwoPi]

Thanks all for the comments and the advice. Nero, that Sky & Telescope site showing the Jovian moons is great: so I must have seen a small star right next to Callisto; I thought it was odd to see a fifth moon.

Hi Julian,

I often find Stellarium good for working out what I'm going to see / just saw through the eyepiece, especially with planets & their moons. Setting the date & time to about 3am last night, I get the following view showing a mag 7.55 star between Io and Jupiter.

The second attachment shows a representation of the image through a 6mm eyepiece with an 8" dob (so the view is upside & reversed).

Good fun eh!

I'm sure you'll enjoy many more great views through your scope

[ve1drg]

I was doing exactly the same last night (my first).

Jupiter, it's moons and the star masquerading as one were beautiful indeed.

I was using Skywatcher 150p and with 10mm eyepiece and x2 Barlow the detail was amazing - and all this on my first night of observing

It can only get better!

Hi Devon...

I am new to Astronomer.  Or rather back to astronomy after 60 years.

I just got a new Skywatcher 120  and you have the 150.  Wondering if my 120 will see what your 150 scope did?

Just curious  and anxious to give it a try. 

[Schorhr]

120mm Shows quite a lot, the difference is more obvious on nebulae, great little telescope to view the Planets - with the right eyepieces :-)

[bambuko]

Hi ve1drg

Can't help you with 150 ve 120 question (I am just as new to it as you) - but would love to hear about your experience of 120 when you had a chance to have a go.

One thing is for sure - this forum is a great place to learn and not just by asking questions (I found a lot of answers searching and reading old posts).

[rwilkey]

Hi Julian, well done for seeing Jupiter, only four moons visable, the other would have been a star.  Trouble is, planets look the size of a pea through any telescope, and the 200P is a very worthy telescope.  No filter will help you see any more detail, it's just down to getting experience at viewing and making sure your telescope is well and truly cooled. 

[JulianFR]

Just an update... My second viewing of Jupiter tonight, this time with the 17x50s (I didn't have time to take out/set up my telescope but couldn't waste a beautiful clear sky). Amazed at the clear view of Jupiter's bright yellow disc low in the sky, plus its moons, even through my budget Celestron binoculars. 

[SHUTTLE ATLANTIS]

i was awake at 1.13am made a tea looked out of kitchen window and saw good old jupiter got my bins out nice to see jupiter again

great viewing

steve

[Bignev]

Hi everybody, another beginner here, i would like to say how much i envy you all at the moment because i have had my Sky 200p since late may and still never seen a single planet yet.

Every time theres a good night to go out seeing i am having to go to bed because i am up at 4. 30 for work, its either work or weather i just cant seem to win.

I have a holiday coming up end of next week and believe me you will all hear me scream from good old Northumberland if i dont get the weather then, I really am looking forward to loosing some sleep believe me when i say i just cant wait to see the planets, i have managed to see some nebeula and stars and the moon but nothing alive will stop me in a weeks time from joining the club which you have been lucky enough to join.

Wish for good weather for me before i go mad,  Oh and welcome to one of the most addictable hobbies out there, happy hunting.   LOL  

[TwoPi]

Good luck - I'm sure the view will be worth the wait in the end, Jupiter is a rather impressive sight through a 200P. You'll love it!

[Nuno]

Something not mentioned in any of the excellent posts above is that a better view will always be had when any object is high in the sky as you are looking through less atmosphere.

BTW forgot to congratulate you on your first WOW moment.

Clear skies and good luck.

I didnt knew that. I always thought that we could see a better view of an object high in the sky because its farther from the last sunset location.

Anyway Congratz JulianFR ! I am buying an 8" dob soon but for now I can only see Jupiter and its moons from a 15x70 binos and its great

Good luck for your next observations!