a newbie question :)

[Jimbob]

Hey guys,

Just wanting to know how long like the likes of Saturn and mars etc. are going to be visible in the sky for. And also, when they do go away from view, how long will it be till they come back again. I ask this because I would love to see especially Saturn through a telescope with my own eyes but I don't own one yet and as I'm a student, there isnt much hope of my getting one any time soon haha

Cheers,

Jamie

[The Warthog]

Well, Mars comes up about every two years. It's actually visible at some time of night most of the year, but when it's not fairly close in its orbit, it's too far away to get a really good look at. The next time it gets close is January, 2010, but will be rewarding for a few months either side of then.

Venus spends quite a long time each year as either evening or morning star, and Mercury has its moments every few months. Right now is a good time to see it.

Jupiter will be hanging about in the evening skies most of the summer, and Saturn will return about January.

Uranus and Neptune look about the same any time of year, as long as they aren't so close to the sun in she sky that it is difficult to see arund the glare.

If you want to see a planet, you can see most of them if you are willing to stay up long enough on any given night, as long as they aren't too close to sunrise or sunset. The outer planets are best, though, when they are in the south about midnight. The inner planets are best at their greatest elongations, i.e. when they are farthest from the sun.

[AlexG]

Hi Jamie

I think your best bet at the moment (as you have discovered) is Saturn and the occasional glimpses of Jupiter in the early morning. Mars is usually just a disc unless you have wonderful dark skies.

You really need a small telescope to see the shape and moons of both these planets, rather than your binoculars. Others will confirm if I am right, but I would think a little Startravel 80 would give you good views on a budget - without any mount (you could use a photo tripod) they are about £95 with First Light Optics 10 per cent discount. Alternatively advertise in the "wanted" section here, second hand, or ask around - loads of people have telescopes sitting in their lofts, bought on a whim and then neglected. You might even be able to borrow one for free!

AG

[Jimbob]

Ok thanks for the information from both of you. Really helpful

Cheers

Jamie