Early morning with the f/5 refractor

[DevonSkies]

I decided to get up early this morning (5.30am) to try to get my first look at Saturn as well as the other 3 planets on show at the moment. Given the lack of time this was a good opportunity to give my new Startravel 102 a proper test. My 250PX Dob stayed in the garage - I didn't have time to wait for it to cool down before observing.

First I checked out Jupiter with the 5mm BST EP on the ST102, giving 100x magnification. A nice sharp image, some CA visible, but not overwhelming despite the brightness of the target. Meanwhile, Saturn was rising over the nearby hills. I slewed over to it, but it was so low that it only appeared as an orangey oval blob. So, I decided to spend the next while checking out some globular clusters (only easily seen in the early morning at the moment).

Using Stellarium on my phone, I easily located M3. It was a bit feint in the 102mm frac, and averted vision helped with this one. M5 on the other hand was much more impressive - I could clearly resolve individual stars. Next on the list was M13, the great cluster in Hercules. Actually I was slightly disappointed with this one - although it was a nice object, I found M5 more impressive on this occasion!

I had a look at the double double (Epsilon Lyrae), which was a challenge to my little refractor. I could clearly split the southern star pair, but the northern pair eluded me. Must try again with the Dob!

By now (6.25am) Saturn was well up. Now the rings were clearly visible - as everyone knows, seeing this for the first time is a real "wow" moment! It was still fairly low in the sky, so turbulence and dispersion disturbed the view quite a lot, so no Cassini division or other details were to be seen. But at least I have seen it now!

All in all, a good performance by the ST102. My Dob is feeling decidedly unloved - I'll make sure I take it out next time!

Ed

[laudropb]

Very nice report. As you say your first view of Saturn is a real wow moment.

[happy-kat]

I wonder if it is worth making a little card board aprature mask to make the lens a little smaller for Jupiter observing. It will increase the f and reduce the CA.

[andrew63]

A lovely early morning observing.  You'll get a lot of use with that refractor -  it's the perfect companion for the larger telescope.

andrew

[paulastro]

That's a real red letter day for you Ed, your first view of Saturn.  I can remember my first view of it as if it was yesterday - and that was over 45 years ago!  I hope you continue to have many more great viewing sessions - and many returns to Saturn of course.

[alan potts]

Nice report Ed, many a time I have viewed Saturn low down and many a time it as you say, a blob. I don't think it can be in a much worse place that where it is at the moment, even ideally placed it is still going to be low in the UK.

Alan