Jupiter smiles on me

[Scott Brown]

After a full day of wind, snow and rain I noticed on some of the forecasts that it would clear up around 3:00 am so bed early and alarm set for 3:15. Woke up jumped out of bed and noticed a clearish sky with a bright star shining straight into my room so a quick check on my phone to confirm it was Jupiter.  Dressed and rushed out to the shed and set up my SW 200P Dob. I used my 10mm stock EP and found him. WOW..... I was so impressed, 3 Brown bands and 3 of his moons jumping out at me, I watched him for an hour totally amazed. For the last 10 minutes I switched to the stock 25 mm EP and was amazed that you could still see the bands and moons although it was obviously smaller. So happy that I got this chance and will never forget my first sight of Jupiter through a scope. I was so impressed with the view through the 10 mm so I suppose my question is..... how better can it get ( if it can ) remembering it was a stock eyepiece I used. I was not expecting anything like the view I got and it was lots better than I ever imagined. Thanks........ Scott

[iPeace]

Good show! Perhaps it can get a bit better, but don't expect miracles with Jupiter - it's often the conditions that make the biggest difference.

Snoop around here on SGL to figure out how to determine how much magnification your specific scope can provide. Snoop around some more to read about eyepieces. You may decide to upgrade your eyepieces at some point to improve your views. But once again, don't expect miracles other than the one you've already experienced.

Whatever you do, keep on doing what you're doing right now.

[Dave In Vermont]

Jupiter is a ball of gas - at least what we can see - and we are looking through our own layer of gas. So the clearest view we can get is often fleeting. But on the nights where everything comes together in our favor - WOW!

Well worth the wait! Jupiter is great!

Enjoy -

Dave

[Stu]

Great report Scott! Glad you got some good views despite the weather.

I believe your 10mm gives x120. On good nights (which I will come on to) you should be able to use x180 or perhaps a little more, so an eyepiece in the 7mm area would be good.

So here's the thing on conditions. I was out last night with my astro group for around an hour. When I left for our meeting it was full Cloud and raining, so I did not grab my scope, just some binoculars. I really regretted it though, because when it cleared later on, the sky was lovely. What do I mean by lovely? Well the rain had washed all the muck out of the atmosphere so it was very transparent i.e. I could see fainter objects than normal with the naked eye. Secondly the seeing it seemed very stable, the stars were not twinkling and objects like the Mizar and alcor double were very clear to the naked eye.

What is the reason for all my ramblings? Well I suspect that for you, last night might have represented a very good night for observing planets, so I would not necessarily expect the same everytime you go out. But on the positive side, getting a better quality, slightly higher power eyepiece can, I believe, improve your views over the 10mm.

Spending a long time at the eyepiece is excellent though, you really get the chance to pick out all the detail that is there.

Here's to a few more great nights!!

[furrysocks2]

Nice one, Scott.

Still remember the first time I saw banding on Jupiter.

It's getting much lower in the sky the next few years, unfortunately, grab it when you can.

[chiltonstar]

A beauty, isn't it - always impresses. Smiled on a good few of us last night by the way - after all the grey wasn't it superb to have a night with some clear sky and some excellent seeing so there was a good amount of detail visible.

Chris

[Scott Brown]

2 hours ago, iPeace said:

Good show! Perhaps it can get a bit better, but don't expect miracles with Jupiter - it's often the conditions that make the biggest difference.

Snoop around here on SGL to figure out how to determine how much magnification your specific scope can provide. Snoop around some more to read about eyepieces. You may decide to upgrade your eyepieces at some point to improve your views. But once again, don't expect miracles other than the one you've already experienced.

Whatever you do, keep on doing what you're doing right now.

Thanks iPeace..... Yes it did seem like a miracle. I have been dumbfounded by our universe for a long time and that moment last night was amazing. I've only had my scope since last week and this site is brilliant.... The help and advice I have gained from here is second to none. I also just received a copy of Turn Left At Orion yesterday so now I have 2 reference points. Thanks..... Scott

[Scott Brown]

2 hours ago, Dave In Vermont said:

Jupiter is a ball of gas - at least what we can see - and we are looking through our own layer of gas. So the clearest view we can get is often fleeting. But on the nights where everything comes together in our favor - WOW!

Well worth the wait! Jupiter is great!

Enjoy -

Dave

Hi Dave... Yeh Jupiter is great and I feel lucky to have seen it in such splendour. I hope discovering other thing are as exciting as this..... Scott

[laudropb]

Well done Scott. Like you I was up at 3am . The seeing was really good here too and Jupiter was a lovely sight. I agree with Stu, a 7 mm eyepiece is just about perfect in the 200p for Jupiter when the seeing permits.

[Scott Brown]

3 hours ago, Stu said:

Great report Scott! Glad you got some good views despite the weather.

I believe your 10mm gives x120. On good nights (which I will come on to) you should be able to use x180 or perhaps a little more, so an eyepiece in the 7mm area would be good.

So here's the thing on conditions. I was out last night with my astro group for around an hour. When I left for our meeting it was full Cloud and raining, so I did not grab my scope, just some binoculars. I really regretted it though, because when it cleared later on, the sky was lovely. What do I mean by lovely? Well the rain had washed all the muck out of the atmosphere so it was very transparent i.e. I could see fainter objects than normal with the naked eye. Secondly the seeing it seemed very stable, the stars were not twinkling and objects like the Mizar and alcor double were very clear to the naked eye.

What is the reason for all my ramblings? Well I suspect that for you, last night might have represented a very good night for observing planets, so I would not necessarily expect the same everytime you go out. But on the positive side, getting a better quality, slightly higher power eyepiece can, I believe, improve your views over the 10mm.

Spending a long time at the eyepiece is excellent though, you really get the chance to pick out all the detail that is there.

Here's to a few more great nights!!

Hi Stu.......

I bet you were annoyed at not taking your scope, it just goes to show that we never know when the sky is going to open up its wonders. I won't expect the same every night and I know I was lucky to get such a view but I didn't expect that especially with a 25 mm EP and yes my 10 mm gives me x120...... Scott

[Woolnut]

Jupiter is probably the Planet i want to see the most at the moment... Just got to wait for that perfect window when not only the seeing is at a great level, but when i am free! 

On another note; I have the 150p, what do you all reckon the best EP would be for Jupiter on my OTA?

 

[Tangoringo]

Hi Scott,

Well done for persevering and getting the reward. I'm afraid I bottled it after being lured out only for the stars to disappear just after I'd got all my gear out and waited patiently for an hr for them to return. Alas my new scope seems to be the kiss of death for clear skies!!

Ian

[Scott Brown]

1 hour ago, furrysocks2 said:

Nice one, Scott.

Still remember the first time I saw banding on Jupiter.

It's getting much lower in the sky the next few years, unfortunately, grab it when you can.

Yeh it's getting lower all the time. Will it disappear altogether for a while? Hopefully by then I will have discovered more wonderful things to look at..... Scott

[Scott Brown]

1 hour ago, chiltonstar said:

A beauty, isn't it - always impresses. Smiled on a good few of us last night by the way - after all the grey wasn't it superb to have a night with some clear sky and some excellent seeing so there was a good amount of detail visible.

Chris

Yeh Chris it's a beauty, glad you caught the chance last night as well. I was going to look at other stuff but couldn't keep my eyes off him

[furrysocks2]

9 minutes ago, Scott Brown said:

Yeh it's getting lower all the time. Will it disappear altogether for a while? Hopefully by then I will have discovered more wonderful things to look at..... Scott

Red shows when it's at its maximum possible altitude at some point during the night (ie crossing your meridian, due south). Otherwise, blue shows how high it can be seen either after sunset in the west or before dawn in the east, I think - note that down at the bottom points of the blue line it's actually behind the sun so you'll have no chance. The gray line shows it getting larger and smaller according to our distance from it.

So, it'll be back next year, and the year after, etc, but come 2022 and beyond, it should be great!

[Edit: I put this graph together for Greenwich as the observer's location, the story's actually a few degrees worse for us up here.]

[Scott Brown]

14 minutes ago, laudropb said:

Well done Scott. Like you I was up at 3am . The seeing was really good here too and Jupiter was a lovely sight. I agree with Stu, a 7 mm eyepiece is just about perfect in the 200p for Jupiter when the seeing permits.

Great laudropb, I would assume that you have viewed Jupiter many times and will never get sick of looking at it? A 7mm is on the cards now..... Thanks Scott

[Scott Brown]

3 hours ago, Woolnut said:

Jupiter is probably the Planet i want to see the most at the moment... Just got to wait for that perfect window when not only the seeing is at a great level, but when i am free! 

On another note; I have the 150p, what do you all reckon the best EP would be for Jupiter on my OTA?

 

Woolnut, I'll leave it to others to advise you on the best EP as I have no knowledge on that but I looked at it with x48 and x120 and both were great, I was surprised that the x48 picked it up at all but it shows you how much I know lol. I also don't get many chances to view as I work nights but last night just happened to be my night off, lucky me

[popeye85]

I managed to get a quick glimpse last night for the first time in ages and it is with out doubt my favourite target up their! In the past I have found that sticking a blue filter on to your eyepiece can bring it detail-most important thing is time though! The more you look the more you will see as I'm sure you found out last night!

[Scott Brown]

18 minutes ago, Tangoringo said:

Hi Scott,

Well done for persevering and getting the reward. I'm afraid I bottled it after being lured out only for the stars to disappear just after I'd got all my gear out and waited patiently for an hr for them to return. Alas my new scope seems to be the kiss of death for clear skies!!

Ian

That a shame Ian, I got my scope last Thursday and got a great night to view and I have been on nights all week but had last night off and hit it lucky again. I decided on getting a Dob so I can have it set up outside and start viewing within 5 minutes. I hope my luck continues and you get some luck too.... Take Care..... Scott

[Scott Brown]

12 minutes ago, furrysocks2 said:

Red shows when it's at its maximum possible altitude at some point during the night (ie crossing your meridian, due south). Otherwise, blue shows how high it can be seen either after sunset in the west or before dawn in the east, I think - note that down at the bottom points of the blue line it's actually behind the sun so you'll have no chance. The gray line shows it getting larger and smaller according to our distance from it.

So, it'll be back next year, and the year after, etc, but come 2022 and beyond, it should be great!

Great thanks for that.... Very interesting. Well if what I saw last night can be bettered then bring it on..... Scott

[Scott Brown]

6 minutes ago, popeye85 said:

I managed to get a quick glimpse last night for the first time in ages and it is with out doubt my favourite target up their! In the past I have found that sticking a blue filter on to your eyepiece can bring it detail-most important thing is time though! The more you look the more you will see as I'm sure you found out last night!

It amazed me that something so far away could be seen so clearly and with detail, I'm still buzzing about it. I don't know anything about filters as yet as I'm just a week 2 newbie but I will certainly pop it on my " to get " list. Thanks for that..... Scott

[popeye85]

9 minutes ago, Scott Brown said:

 I will certainly pop it on my " to get " list. Thanks for that..... Scott

Be aware that it can turn into a very long list! 

[Scott Brown]

1 minute ago, popeye85 said:

Be aware that it can turn into a very long list! 

Oh I believe it can, I'm trying to slow myself down a bit and only get things that will be useful for a long time. I bought a Red LED torch, Turn left at Orion and a Celestron  x-cel XL 7mm EP since I got the scope last week but I believe these are all decent buys that will do me for a good while..... Scott

[JOC]

I'm envious, but vastly encouraged by your posting.  I haven't done the wake up in the middle of the night routine yet - it would make the dogs bark and I'd be vastly unpopular in our 7 person house.  I'm hoping to catch it the right side of midnight at some point soon, and hope my seeing, when it happens, fills me with the same wonder as yours has.

[Tangoringo]

45 minutes ago, popeye85 said:

Be aware that it can turn into a very long list! 

And a very bemused looking bank manager ?