Session tonight - Maybe Uranus?

[Charlie_132]

Hello, sorry I seem to come and go a lot on here, I've been very busy lately, so replying can be difficult as my mobile doesn't let me post replies......


Anyway quick few questions.

I am planning a session tonight as it is going to be clear.

Uranus is to the right of the moon tonight accoring to Stellarium.

Will it be possible to see it with a Mak127, or will the brightness of the moon wash it away?

Also Neptune is a bit further round and to the south. Will that be possible to see with the moon being close ish?

[John]

You should be able to see both planets with the Mak 127. Neptune is harder to find although it is further from the Moon tonight. It seems to need around 200x to discern it's tiny disk. Uranus is easier to spot and shows as being "not a star" even at 50x but more magnification shows the disk a little larger. Still very small compared to the giant planets Saturn and Jupiter of course !

I managed to observe Uranus when it was really close to the Moon's limb a week or so ago so it's not entirely drowned out. The planet and the bright lunar limb were both in the same field of view at 200x - it was quite a sight

Uranus should be visible in a 30mm finder. I could just about make out Neptune in my 50mm finder as a very faint star.

[Charlie_132]

You clearly had better luck then me John

I tried to find Uranus tonight near the moon, I had no luck

I couldn't see it in the 9x50 finder scope, and I couldn't find it in the 25mm eyepiece slowly scanning in the area it should of been around.

I was looking for a pale green dot. I may of seen it properly once.... But maybe not.

I think I may of had it once, but I tried to get more magnification, then I lost it, then couldn't find it again!

Such a frustrating night. If i can't manage to find it this close to the moon then I don't think I will ever find it.

I might go to the letchwoth astronomy group in a couple of weeks and see if someone can show me Uranus and Neptune.

May even take my telescope along with me so I can see what it looks like the the mak.

I bet it will be very cloudy though.

As for imaging Uranus, does any colour such as light green show up? As I have seen most pictures of uranus as a white dot/circle, then false colour added. Am I being thick in thinking the false colour is colour added by photoshop? And it just appears as a bright white dot on the screen with the webcam?
 

Has anyone managed to get a photo of Uranus and Neptune with a 127 Mak and a webcam? I have looked about but couldn't find one, but there might be one on this site somewhere?

Thanks

[Hootsitabernacle]

 me personally no but this member has

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/226453-uranus-first-attempt/

[Charlie_132]

Oh that's good

Do you know if that is with a 127 mak and webcam?

I think doing that manually as i have done with jupiter, saturn and mars could be near on impossible

mayble i will just do venus then try neptune and uranus whenever i get a goto mount.

Does no colour show up with uranus on a webcam then? Does it need to be added by photoshop?

[John]

The second of those images is about how Uranus appears at 250x with my 12" dob. The disk is perhaps a little brighter visually and the pale green colour is there but more subtle.

[Hootsitabernacle]

i believe its seen thru an 8" mak and tidies up thru photoshop but i dont think any artificial colour was added

[Paul73]

Don't worry. The glare from the moon can wash out most things that close in. If you had found it, the view would have been pretty pants.

You will find it no problem, once the moon has calmed down/moved out of the way. If you have binoculars, locate it with them first. Then try with the scope.

Paul

[Charlie_132]

I own a pair of 8x30 binoculars, would that be enough to spot Uranus?

I am going to try tonight around 9pm as it looks asthough it might be in line with Capella but quite a long way to its right....

Is there any clear way of finding Uranus?

i found the the stars that are near it in a \ shape, with the light white dim star at the top left and the bright orangey/red star to the bottom left. Uranus should of been south of that.... But I couldn't see anything last night.

Was i doing the right thing/ in the right place?

Also, what should I expect to see with the 127 Mak and a 25mm eye piece?
Am I using enough to even pick Uranus up?

I only own a 2x barlow, 25mm ep and a 21 - 8mm zoom eyepice which is pretty uselsss as it has became dirty. I really don't know how to clean them as the dirt looks as though it is inside. That isn't much of a worry though. I am thinking of getting a 30 or 40mm ep soon, and a 15mm. I think they will work well with the 127 mak.

[Paul73]

Yes you should see it as a star in your 8x30's. about 1/2 an FOV below Delta Pisces.

At 50x you can tell that it isn't a star. At 100x+ it will resolve into a tiny disc.

Paul

[Charlie_132]

So is 50x the view through my right angle finder scope (9x50)

And 100x will be the 25mm eyepiece with the mak 127?

I had another look last night, but it was getting very late and I didn't really want to be in the garden.

I looked at the moon then went up to the two starts above the moon, then across to a dimmer star, then down a little and across to two stars in this shape \ then from what I have worked out, Uranus should be below the star at the bottom right of the \ but I couldn't find it.

The 127 mak and the 25mm EP is strong enough to find it?

[Paul73]

Not quite. The '50' in your 9x50 equates to the size of the lens at the front. The 9 is the magnification. You should be able to spot Uranus through the finder, but a pair of Binos are far easier to manoeuvre!

Assuming that the focal length of your scope I'd about 1500mm your 25mm eyepiece will give you magnification of 60x. So you will be doing well to get much of a disc but look out for the colour! Might be worth trying your zoom once you have found it. Eyepieces can get pretty dirty before they become completely unusable.

Good luck.

Paul

[Charlie_132]

Oh okay, thanks!

My eyepieces are quite dirty, but not unusable.

The dirt seems asthough it is inside the eyepice.... Is that easily cleaned with a liquid purchased from FLO?

Is the colour of Uranus very pale green and easy to find?

[Paul73]

If you can get at it. The wonder fluid will do the job. However, I have never dismantled an eyepiece to that extent. I would start a new thread with a few pictures of the offending article.

Re colour in Uranus, some nights blue, some nights duck egg green and some nights, not much at all! Totally depends on atmospheric conditions and how you perceive colour.

Hope that it is clearer in Stevenage than in West Berkshire.

Paul

[Charlie_132]

Thanks for all the help, I decided to give up with uranus and neptune. They're too hard for me to find.

I will wait until I meet someone who knows where they are to show me.

Pretty unlikely that it will be any time soon as its meant to be cloudy next saturday when I was planning on going to letchworths astronomy night.

If anyone can offer any more help I'd be very greatful.