GRS Transit 2nd June 2018

[Stu]

I was planning an early night but spotted this was happening just around the time GRS was transiting the meridian. Popped a quick heads up on the forum then headed out with Tak/Ercole/Gitzo combination which is very quick to setup.

Not wanting to get eaten alive, I setup at the front of the house which is unusual for me. I think it probably makes more sense to do this more often because, although there are streetlights visible, it looks straight over fields so the seeing should be better.

I started with the Nag zoom, 6 and 5mm settings were best ie between x123 and x146. Straightaway the views were very good. GRS immediately visible and looking very orange. I could see the hollow where it sits into the SEB, aswell as the dark split down the middle of the SEB.

Plenty of other detail visible, including what looked like a barge in line with GRS but in the NEB. Floaters were causing me some problems, so I tried the binoviewers next. At similar powers, careful focusing of each channel revealing a lovely view, with much reduced floater visibility. Still a little ‘smoothed’ but it’s an option I will take more often these days. Finally I did switch back to cyclops and was getting somewhere training my non observing eye to see properly. That one has far fewer floaters in it.

Should get the GP out next time, having tracking on it which really helps with concentration.

Probably my best views this apparition.

[Dave1]

Jupiter was very good tonight, GRS looked fantastic! Loads of detail on show.

[John]

Nice report Stu - it was a good Jupiter session tonight

"....what looked like a barge in line with GRS but in the NEB ...."

Yes, I noticed this feature as well. I could not work out if it was a barge or just a darker area of the NEB. It did stand out though.

[niallk]

Nice report. I was too late for the GRS transit, but threw my 10" out to cool when I saw the jetstream was eleswhere - but struggled to get good views tbh.  I had some of my best views ever last year, but nothing has come even close so far this year being at a little less alt. I'll just have to keep trying

I've also tried using my 'non observing' eye as Ive developed a little stig in my right eye - it's amazing how alien it feels.  Not bad enough for a dioptrx yet I think thankfully!

[Stu]

8 hours ago, John said:

Nice report Stu - it was a good Jupiter session tonight

"....what looked like a barge in line with GRS but in the NEB ...."

Yes, I noticed this feature as well. I could not work out if it was a barge or just a darker area of the NEB. It did stand out though.

It seems to show in many recent images John, mirroring the position of GRS for some time.

Even from these I’m not totally sure, what do you think?

 

[Paz]

Great report, it is interesting to read the features described with their proper names, I need to read up on this!

[Stu]

34 minutes ago, niallk said:

it's amazing how alien it feels

Absolutely! The views were actually quite good, no floaters and much better than I’ve had from it before. I’m wondering if my binoviewing is somehow teach me to see better with this eye???

[Stu]

7 minutes ago, Paz said:

Great report, it is interesting to read the features described with their proper names, I need to read up on this!

Thanks  

There is plenty of info on the web to help. I find the image below useful.

Some time ago (April 2016) I tried to show what I could see through the Tak by detuning an image taken at the same time by someone on the forum who kindly gave me permission. These are also attached here. A long way from an exact exercise but useful hopefully. I’ve yet to see a white oval though!

[Stu]

This thread from @Debo has a great image taken at around the same time, very useful reference.

 

[Dave1]

9 hours ago, John said:

Nice report Stu - it was a good Jupiter session tonight

"....what looked like a barge in line with GRS but in the NEB ...."

Yes, I noticed this feature as well. I could not work out if it was a barge or just a darker area of the NEB. It did stand out though.

Ah until this post I did not realise the dark concentration opposite GRS in NEB was called the barge you learn something new everyday :) 

[Stu]

20 hours ago, Dave1 said:

Ah until this post I did not realise the dark concentration opposite GRS in NEB was called the barge you learn something new everyday  

Dave, we THINK it is a barge. They are dark ovals which form along the edges of the belts, mainly the NEB I think.

@John any further thoughts based on the images?

[Dave1]

4 hours ago, Stu said:

Dave, we THINK it is a barge. They are dark ovals which form along the edges of the belts, mainly the NEB I think.

@John any further thoughts based on the images?

Yes I know we thought that... My post was more aimed at the word barge particularly. Barges are not listed at all in my Planet observers handbook by Fred Price. That would simply be called a dark concentration.. According to that book. As you've also read in Ollys thread. There's is some discrpiency as to what this can be called. 

[Stu]

1 hour ago, Dave1 said:

Yes I know we thought that...

My apologies.......

[Dave1]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

My apologies.......

No need to apologise. I could of explained a little better in the first place. That would of stopped the confusion.