Altitude of the planets for the next few years

[cuivenion]

Cracking stuff Furrysocks!

[furrysocks2]

51 minutes ago, cuivenion said:

Cracking stuff Furrysocks!

Cheers - hope they're correct. Anything they don't tell you?

 

 

[John]

Very interesting and useful stuff folks

I think what this tells me is that anyone joining the hobby over the next year with the intentions of concentrating on planetary observing should be gently pursuaded that there are plenty of other interesting and worthwhile targets in the sky !

[furrysocks2]

18 minutes ago, John said:

Very interesting and useful stuff folks

I think what this tells me is that anyone joining the hobby over the next year with the intentions of concentrating on planetary observing should be gently pursuaded that there are plenty of other interesting and worthwhile targets in the sky !

I got my scope out of storage in November with the intention of concentrating on planetary observing. :/

[cuivenion]

1 hour ago, furrysocks2 said:

Cheers - hope they're correct. Anything they don't tell you?

 

 

No they seem pretty comprehensive, thanks again. Looks like I'll be trying my luck with Uranus for the next few years.

[furrysocks2]

This was one more graph I had in mind for Mars... shows altitude by time (6pm to 6am, taking account of sunset/rise). No great surprise that opposition max-altitude can be observed at midnight, though I did have to think that one through for a second or two.

Edited February 14, 2017 by furrysocks2

[cuivenion]

Hi mods, I know this thread is a few months old but it has some excellent info for planetary observers and imagers. Would it be possible to make it sticky?

[Stub Mandrel]

I hadn't seen this thread before, it's really useful.

[CentaurZ]

 

Edited May 27, 2018 by CentaurZ

[CentaurZ]

 

Edited May 27, 2018 by CentaurZ

[CentaurZ]

Edited May 27, 2018 by CentaurZ

[Arcturus D]

On 14/02/2017 at 18:48, John said:

Very interesting and useful stuff folks

I think what this tells me is that anyone joining the hobby over the next year with the intentions of concentrating on planetary observing should be gently pursuaded that there are plenty of other interesting and worthwhile targets in the sky !

The planets are low at the moment, but still high enough to see a lot of detail on good nights.

I have had some of my best viewings of Jupiter over the last few weeks.

[Les Ewan]

Already been there.As with anyone else  starting out in the 70's we were spoiled really, when I got my first telescopic  view of Saturn in 1972 it was riding high in Taurus with its rings fully open(just as well as I was using only a 40mm refractor at 30X). Leading up the mid 70's Jupiter was rising through Aquarius and Pisces and getting better, and with a 60mm refractor and later a 6"Newt was rewarded with many memorable views of both planets as they glided through the winter constellations.There was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Spring 1980 in Leo and both planets declined.In the case of Saturn I didn't get another descent view until the early 90's.

Its great that Uranus and Neptune are getting higher but apart for the challenge of tracking them down theirs not much in them telescopically.

[jonathan]

So I didn't just imagine that the planets looked a lot better when I first got my telescope around ten years ago?

[tripleped]

Very interesting information but yea, also a bit depressing. How about us folks at 39 N (central U. S.) will we fare any better?

[Sunshine]

It seems for me here outside of Toronto the best times this coming summer to catch Jupiter and Saturn will be around 2AM due south when they be at their highest. Still fairly low to the horizon but, better than nothing.

Edited March 16, 2021 by Sunshine

[M40]

Thought I would add to this topic as I found this today...

https://astronomynow.com/almanac/

Its an online planetary almanac giving hopefully the info needed for the nearer planets and the moon.