Is Saturn always low in the sky in the UK or is it just a bad year?

[kev100]

21 hours ago, John said:

Have you observed it when it's been high in the sky ?

There is a difference.

I have viewed Saturn when higher, three or four years ago. I agree there is a difference, but, and it has to be said, the view I got on Saturday just gone has to be one of the best views I've ever had of it. A little soft, sure, coming and going as it drifted across the fov, but the Cassini division was very clear, and there was definite banding on the planet itself. I tried x240, x200 and x136, and it was great even at the top end. I'm very lucky, of course, in that there wasn't anything blocking the view to the south.

[knobby]

Saturn is beautiful, take whatever chance you get ... I know this isn't an imaging thread but I took this on Sunday from ... Inside my extension through opened patio doors , it was the only way I could get scope high enough 

 

[TareqPhoto]

I am too late into this astronomy, i hope this year or at most by next year i will have the gear ready, then i can wait Saturn, this year i viewed Saturn few times but very very tiny due to my small refra, i did image it with a Canon lens but that was like a very small object, so i am not sure when i can have that large scope, but if i do not sure if Saturn will be high in sky again like this year with us.

[Stub Mandrel]

5 hours ago, TareqPhoto said:

high in sky again like this year

Saturn and the other planets should always be reasonable high in the sky from the UAE.

[Phil Fargaze]

If it's any consolation, Uranus and Neptune will be well placed this winter but don't expect to see any detail apart from a blue or greeny tiny disc. But if you manage to find them at least you have the satisfaction of actually seeing them.

[John]

21 minutes ago, Phil Fargaze said:

If it's any consolation, Uranus and Neptune will be well placed this winter but don't expect to see any detail apart from a blue or greeny tiny disc. But if you manage to find them at least you have the satisfaction of actually seeing them.

With some magnification it is possible to see Neptunes moon Triton and a couple of the brighter Uranian moons as well. I've seen Triton with a 130mm scope.

[Pondus]

1 hour ago, Phil Fargaze said:

If it's any consolation, Uranus and Neptune will be well placed this winter but don't expect to see any detail apart from a blue or greeny tiny disc. But if you manage to find them at least you have the satisfaction of actually seeing them.

I`ve yet to detect colors on these planets, or moons.

But yes interesting targets still.

 

Rune

[Mattwaters]

I can't wait for Saturn to be in a better position. I Saw Saturn a few weekeday ago at about 15 degrees. Was like 3am in the morning but I was able to see the rings clear ish.

Isn't next year suppose to be a really good year to view Mars? 

[bish]

7 minutes ago, Pondus said:

I`ve yet to detect colors on these planets, or moons.

But yes interesting targets still.

 

Rune

You should be able to see the colour of Uranus and Neptune.

[Pondus]

2 minutes ago, bish said:

You should be able to see the colour of Uranus and Neptune.

Yes I know. But so far they just appear grey to me .

Havent given up on them though.

[bish]

1 minute ago, Pondus said:

Yes I know. But so far they just appear grey to me .

Havent given up on them though.

That's a shame. It's normally the colour that gives it away at low power for me. I have to say though that my eyes don't always see the exact colour as described by other people. Hope the colour does come to you. Stick at it!

[Stu]

16 minutes ago, bish said:

That's a shame. It's normally the colour that gives it away at low power for me. I have to say though that my eyes don't always see the exact colour as described by other people. Hope the colour does come to you. Stick at it!

Yes, that's a shame. They are only tiny disks so the colour is one of the nicer elements to observing them. If I've recalled it the right way round Uranus is a greenish grey and Neptune a very lovely blue.

Try looking at a bright light before observing them. That might seem crazy but dark adaptation can lead to only your rods being activated, stimulating the cones can help you see colour on planets. It has certainly helped me on Jupiter and surprisingly also to see green in M42 with a 4" frac. Worth a try anyway. 

[John]

I agree with Stu's suggestion. Apparently keen planetary observers sometimes stare at an illuminated piece of white card before observing - sort of the opposite that deep sky enthusiasts need !

Uranus and Neptune appear as blue / greenish disks to me with Uranus seeming more on the blue side. I once observed it when it was very close to the limb of the Moon (both in the same field of view at 200x) and the blue colour was notably stronger. A memorable view that was

[geoflewis]

48 minutes ago, Mattwaters said:

Isn't next year suppose to be a really good year to view Mars?

Mars will be big at 24" at next year's 'perihelic' opposition on 27 July, but unfortunately from the UK it will be at an even lower altitude (~12 deg when transiting at my Norfolk location) than Saturn is this year :-(.

[bish]

12 hours ago, Stu said:

Yes, that's a shame. They are only tiny disks so the colour is one of the nicer elements to observing them. If I've recalled it the right way round Uranus is a greenish grey and Neptune a very lovely blue.

Try looking at a bright light before observing them. That might seem crazy but dark adaptation can lead to only your rods being activated, stimulating the cones can help you see colour on planets. It has certainly helped me on Jupiter and surprisingly also to see green in M42 with a 4" frac. Worth a try anyway. 

So my terrible light pollution might be coming in handy after all then!

[TareqPhoto]

Yesterday was a beautiful view of Saturn, pity it wasn't through my telescope :-(

[Macavity]

To an approximation the *Zodiac* is low during summer nights.
Thus the SUN "rides high" the skies during the summer days! 
It is a bit unfortunate that so *many* of the planets seem to be
hiding in the "nether regions" of the Zodiac at the moment...  

Not always THAT easy to visualise but *fairly* true I reckon?

Thinking of making my obsy mount taller(!) but then scopes
(and me) can "feel the chill" a bit during the Winter WINDS! 

[Louis D]

Never noticed the planets appearing low from about 30 degrees north here in Texas.  Saturn's altitude is about 37 degrees above the southern horizon at best this year.  I guess it is lower than Jupiter's 55 degree altitude, but still quite workable.

Canopus on the other hand is a bit of a challenge to bag.  I need a clear southern horizon to see it since it only rises about 7 degrees above the horizon.  One of these days I need to work on bagging Omega Centauri.  It should be doable if I can find a dark, clear southern horizon.

[John]

13 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Never noticed the planets appearing low from about 30 degrees north.....

Well the 20 (or so) degrees difference from the UK (where the OP is based) would make a difference wouldn't it

I think we have 2 more oppositions of Saturn where it's even lower and then things start (slowly) to improve.

When I had my best views of Saturn (2005) it was in Gemini

 

[cletrac1922]

Last night about 11pm, Saturn was overhead, and Jupiter was just dipping below the western horizon

[geoflewis]

4 hours ago, cletrac1922 said:

Last night about 11pm, Saturn was overhead, and Jupiter was just dipping below the western horizon

that is so unfair.....

[Stub Mandrel]

In 2032 the Aussies and Brazilians will all be moaning why can't they get a decent pic of Saturn compared to the Brits

[geoflewis]

1 minute ago, Stub Mandrel said:

In 2032 the Aussies and Brazilians will all be moaning why can't they get a decent pic of Saturn compared to the Brits

Yes, but I'll be pushing 80 by then, so not sure if I'll still be around, or if I am whether I'll be able to take advantage of it....

[Stub Mandrel]

I'll be a sprightly 70...

[Victor Boesen]

45 minutes ago, geoflewis said:

Yes, but I'll be pushing 80 by then, so not sure if I'll still be around, or if I am whether I'll be able to take advantage of it....

 

5 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I'll be a sprightly 70...

Not a problem for me! I'll be 29!