I saw it!

[OscarTheGrouch]

Don't leave Saturn too long, it is past it's best for the year now, at opposition again in May next year so have a go even before it is dark

Thanks for the pointer.  Guess what I'll be doing tonight!!!

[woodmeister]

Same with Mars which has passed its best. I think 2016 is when it will be back in opposition so I guess you should wait till then.

[Stu]

Mars is still worth looking at. It's a tricky target needing high magnification, steady seeing and a well cooled and collimated scope to get the best out of it. Looks great when you do though

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[woodmeister]

Aye I really found it to be unfriendly most of the time. Even when it was darn close to opposition. I Remember the one night where seeing was excellent using 171x I could make out the pole at the top and the larger ice patch at the bottom (inverted view). Along with a few darker patches though I am no good at telling what formation is what.

Also viewed Saturn on the same night and the cassini division was so clean cut I was like wow! along with different shades on the planet. It reminded me a bit of stacked images, not quite as good but a lot darn closer to them than usual.

Those sort of nights really help motivate you when you get a lot of bad seeing.

[Stu]

This is quite handy for checking the Martian features

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[todd8137]

Just rolling my roof back gets me excited ,the anticipation of what s there tonight dso and planet wise ,but Saturn still pulls me towards her ,takes me about 10 minutes before the real detail starts to show ,so do not be tempted to,have a quick look at any thing

Pat

[sheebert239]

saturn gets everyone the first time they see it, mine was just a few months ago 

[syoudM42]

Cool glad you enjoyed saturn. I also saw it first time few days ago. Sky watcher 150p. Used 2 x Barlow with 25mm lens first to get it centred. Then swapped to 10mm and further magnified with 5mm lens. If you use a Barlow it doubles your magnification for each and every lens used. I observed saturn fairly close up with the 5mm lens. Dont think you will get much better as more magnification tends to magnify our own earth atmospheric distortions. Saturn doesn't disappoint. The jewel in our solar system.

[woodmeister]

Looks like it is going to be clear tonight. Unfortunately I got work and I wanted to view Saturn

[Gomtuu]

I'll never forget my first Saturn. I told my GOTO to find it and it pointed the telescope straight into the side of a moor. I watched it track for about 10 minutes and was rewarded by seeing Saturn rising from behind the moor, like a scene from a sci-fi movie. Unforgettable!

[rwilkey]

Thanx guys. My wife seems to think I'm crazy. It really cold outside here so she would'nt come out to see it. Next time maybe.

Oh, is there some sort of map/stratergy to finding it again? I mean, how would I know where it will be say in 2 or 3 days time?

Thanx

Cedric

Hi Cedric, congratulations, an awesome sight!  Now, to get it's position, download a copy of Stellarium, it's free here: http://www.stellarium.org/  Once downloaded, assert your location and to find out where Saturn will be, wind the date forward and then put in a search for Saturn (Ctl F).  It will also show you the moons of Saturn, you should be able to see Titan quite easily with your scope, and possibly others.

[brantuk]

Once you know where the ecliptic falls across your sky, you'll be able to identify any inner planet just by picking out the brightest objects along it's path. Once you see Saturn one night - you'll be able to pick it up the next night easily cos it'll be just a little further along the ecliptic. Mars is a good one to watch and plot on a graph - cos it goes along the ecliptic then appears to double back on itself making a loop above the ecliptic.

[Digger1895]

I didn't see Saturn on my first night, but I did see (it was the first thing I ever saw through a scope) Jupiter. I knew where it was by using an iPhone app but could not believe I was actually there looking at the giant! I upped the power and could see four moons all perfectly lined up on one side, you could not have picked the up and placed them better.