Major new storm on Neptune

[cuivenion]

As per the title:

http://gizmodo.com/an-extremely-surprising-storm-system-just-appeared-over-1797535257

Probably out of reach for my 8" 200p ? but maybe some of you big scope owners out there might be able to image/observe it?

[Highburymark]

Wow - have never seen Neptune through any of my scopes but very interesting

[cuivenion]

27 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Wow - have never seen Neptune through any of my scopes but very interesting

Me neither. Not sure but maybe this is viewable in a 16"+ scope with the appropriate filter.

[Alien 13]

Might have to give it a try with my 90 mm Mak and webcam..

Alan

[cuivenion]

Just tried it with a 16" dob at:

http://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/

Might be being optimistic lol. Still maybe one of those big maks or sct's might manage it.

[John]

Thanks for the heads up

I'll give it a go with my 12" dob at the next opportunity. Nepune's apparent disk is very small (2.6 arc seconds) but you never know !

I've seen Neptune's moon Triton with my 12" and 130mm scopes but a surface feature is a different challenge entirely.

The planet is quite well placed at the moment at least.

[cuivenion]

22 minutes ago, John said:

Thanks for the heads up

I'll give it a go with my 12" dob at the next opportunity. Nepune's apparent disk is very small (2.6 arc seconds) but you never know !

I've seen Neptune's moon Triton with my 12" and 130mm scopes but a surface feature is a different challenge entirely.

The planet is quite well placed at the moment at least.

Good luck! let us know how it turns out.

[triton1]

I still haven't seen my namesake but I have only a 200p aswell.I will persevere but not sure it's doable.

[Dave In Vermont]

1 hour ago, triton1 said:

I still haven't seen my namesake but I have only a 200p aswell.I will persevere but not sure it's doable.

That's where a camera comes in handy. Unlike our eyes, the image continues to build-up on a camera (Video-cams, even webcams are cheaper options), whereas our eyes give you what they got after about 15 minutes of dark-adaptation. In this way, a 200mm telescope can pull-in and deposit on CCD-chips far fainter objects than you, a human, can actually see.

So you, masquerading as the moon Triton, would have a chance to see the real animal in a 200mm. Or buy a 20-inch light-bucket and give yourself a hernia trying to move that monster to & fro!

Enjoy!

Dave

[niallk]

Thanks for the heads up! I've seen Neptune as a lovely disc in my 15", but it was pretty small at 330x tbh - I don't hold out much hope of seeing any detail on the disc. But, if I ever do get a clear night with very good seeing, I'd love to give it a try So much cloud lately. I found Triton to be much easier to see than some of Uranus's moons (I've detected 4 of them on a very good night last year).

[Dave In Vermont]

The newest Trunk-version of Stellarium that Alex dropped by to tell us of has new moons of Uranus & Saturn in it. I installed same, and it's great! Any serious moon-hunters of the outer gas-giants would be well advised to take a look.

Good stuff!

Dave