Gas Giants - 1st View In Ages

[cloudsweeper]

2.35 am - quick look out of the window - lots of thin cloud, plenty thicker, but something very bright in the south.  Still and mild, and the ED80 was waiting in the shed, so I set it up and hit target - Jupiter, as suspected, at about 12deg, west of south, what a delight to make his acquaintance again after so long!  The Galilean moons were all in a straight line with the planet, Europa and Io being very close and equally spaced either side, giving an almost Saturn-like apparition.  Before I could increase the mag from x20, Jupiter moved behind some low branches, but Saturn, a fraction higher, and further east, had come into view, presenting a fine ellipse, with the rings nicely tilted towards Earth, clearly showing the space between them and the planet.  I got up to x80, but the view was getting fuzzy through the poor transparency, so again no further detail could be made out.

Just 20 minutes' observation, but recapturing the pleasure of views of the respective moons and rings of the mighty gas giants.  Worth getting up for!

Doug.

Edited June 6, 2019 by cloudsweeper

[cotterless45]

Indeed well worth getting up for. It's lovely to observe the huge Jovian disc, coming up to opposition on the 10th of June. Saturn is also a treat. Nick.

[Knighty2112]

Nice report Doug. Not done any observing for absolute ages, so nice to see the planets are still up there twirling around.  

[cloudsweeper]

1 hour ago, Knighty2112 said:

Nice report Doug. Not done any observing for absolute ages, so nice to see the planets are still up there twirling around.  

Thanks Gus - good to hear from you, your absence has not gone unnoticed!

As I said - it was a simple. short session, but great to pick up some planets again, even if they were low.  What was reinforced for me was how short our "window" is these days - one coffee and half an hour after I finished, it was fairly light by 3.30, and the birds had started up!

Doug.

[wookie1965]

Loads of clouds here got bins on it few days back but seeing was terrible could not even see the moons that watery.