Neptune and Uranus Moons!

[Paul73]

Off the back a few recent threads. I revisited both Uranus and Neptune last night. The colour was very similar light greenish blue for both (often Neptune shows as a darker blue but that is changing conditions for you).

Last night seeing was pretty good and I was intrigued to see if I could pick Neptune up in the 10x50 Binos. From my garden 8.5 is about the bino limit (with averted viewing/blinking a lot). So mag 7.8 it should have been doable. And there it was, glowing faintly in the same field as sigma Aquarius. This little victory achieved, I lined up the Dob, got my bearings and, at x150, watched Neptune resolve into a tiny disc. This was a fist for me. All that I have managed before was an odd looking star. Most exciting!!

After a few minutes I noticed a very faint star at about 10/11 o'clock, which on investigation, turned out to be Triton (listed as mag 13.7). I am totally blown away to think that it is possible to see a moon orbiting this frozen, staggeringly distant planet. I guess that the frozen nitrogen on a Triton's surface makes it super reflective.

By the time I got to Uranus it was getting a tiny bit hazy with what light there was bouncing around making things look a bit milky. So catching a faint naked eye glimpse wasn't on the cards. Fortunately, the Binos cut through the thin haze and showed Uranus making a perfect triangle with Epsilon and Delta Pisces. It certainly makes finding these wandering giants easy when they are close of easily identifiable stars.

Uranus was a perfect, well defined, but featureless, ball which floated gently across my field of view. I quite like the movement and nudging to keep the planet in view. It seems to make it more alive. I didn't bother going higher than 150x. I was enjoying the pristine stable view and didn't fancy spoiling the experience with a wobbly view at +200x. After my surprise success in seeing Triton, I lingered at the eyepiece for a while.... slowly a little pinprick of light appeared at about 4 o'clock. It was right on the cusp of visibility; disappearing every time that I dared look at it directly. I'm pretty sure that this was Oberon (mag 14). A pitted old husk of a moon. The exact opposite of the geologically vibrant Triton.

What a great session. I wonder if Pluto is doable ??

Paul

[Special K]

Nice report Paul, and these two giants are worth the effort, aren't they?! I'm finding the color is subject to atmospheric conditions, especially Neptune. Those moons are beyond my equipment, I think!

[Macavity]

Great stuff. It pleasantly surprised me that I could "Video Astronomy" moons of Uranus. 

Well, Oberon & Titania anyway. (The others are closer in!) Didn't try for Neptune-Titan

but, having identified Neptune, "image wise", was moved by it's (blue!) visual beauty.

You raise a good point - More people should look for them (I hadn't thought before)!

Indeed, the brightness of Pluto is comparable to the "ice giants' moons", so why not?

Get the stellar patternings via Software. Probably needs a better visual astronomer

(imaging) to positively "ID" it, but at least I'd know it was: "somewhere in the field"!

I always reckon I'm doubling (tripling) the "performance" of my 8" Newt via "video"...

But, if you have a nice big Dob, and commensurate observing skills, go for it!

[andrew63]

Very rewarding session Paul -   should inspire a few others to have a closer look at these distant giants.

andrew

[Paul73]

Thanks guys. It had never occurred to me that you could see moons around the outer planets. Or, even Neptune as a disc.

Pluto would be a real challenge as, although comparible in magnitude, the moons of Uranus, Neptune & Saturn are all always close to instantly recognisable objects.

Paul

[ghostdance]

Wow, I never thought Neptune would be remotely visible in 10×50 bins.... This I *have* to try for!

Thanks, great report

[Paul73]

Wow, I never thought Neptune would be remotely visible in 10×50 bins.... This I *have* to try for!

Thanks, great report

Not easy (or spectacular) but 100% there!

Paul