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I finally saw Jupiter...

FLECKYRFC

By FLECKYRFC
in Observing - Planetary

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FLECKYRFC

FLECKYRFC

Posted
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Hi all,

I got my first ever telescope last Friday (Skywatcher 130) and after day upon day of waitying for the weather to clear; last night i eventually got a 30 minute window between clouds and saw my first glimpse of Jupiter and it's moons!

I've read members comments in here and all over the internet about their experiences with the night sky and the pictures they post are awesome, but actually seeing Jupiter with it's bands and all of it's moons all in a row... with my own eyes was just truly awe inspiring and will surely stay with me for a very long time. I mean, what a way to break my duck :)

Hopefully tonight's sky will be just as kind to me as last :)

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astromackem

astromackem

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Hi all,

I got my first ever telescope last Friday (Skywatcher 130) and after day upon day of waitying for the weather to clear; last night i eventually got a 30 minute window between clouds and saw my first glimpse of Jupiter and it's moons!

I've read members comments in here and all over the internet about their experiences with the night sky and the pictures they post are awesome, but actually seeing Jupiter with it's bands and all of it's moons all in a row... with my own eyes was just truly awe inspiring and will surely stay with me for a very long time. I mean, what a way to break my duck :)

Hopefully tonight's sky will be just as kind to me as last :)

I did exactly what you did about 3 weeks ago- amazing when you first see it. The moons astounded me more than the planet itself. I think it was because i'd never heard about being able to see the moons- I just assumed they'd be too small to see.

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gkec

gkec

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It is amazing to see the orb of Jupiter hanging in the blackness with the moons spread out on either side.

This was a game changer. The four main moons are known as the Galilean moons because Galileo the very first telescopic astronomer first saw them.  He realised after several observations that the small points of light were orbiting Jupiter.  Indicating Copernicus was probably correct in his assertion that the Earth orbited the Sun (not as answers.com suggests that Copernicus was Galileo's BFF!)  Whilst the Vatican were not that happy the rest is history.

The point being, observing the moons of Jupiter might be common place today but it is significant historically.

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steven_w82

steven_w82

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Had my first real viewing of it tonight and it was really cool to finally see those blumming moons I've been trying to spot with my binoculars for the past 20 years.  Finally bit the bullet and bought a small Celestron travel scope.  It's pretty humble but I live in a tiny flat at the moment so I can't buy anything bigger until that situation changes.

Can I ask, how much detail and how large was the disk?  

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astromackem

astromackem

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I saw it and its moons for the first time nearly 45 years ago and although I've seen it many times since I can still see that first image in my minds eye now.  

It blows the mind to know that if we were around 45 million years ago with a scope we would have seen the same sight!

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Scott

Scott

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congrats on seeing jupiter. its a memory that sticks with you for sure. For me, as amazing as jupiter is,it's the fact that I'm seeing those four distant moons from my own garden with an amatuer telescope. Still gives me a buzz thinking about it :)

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