saturn/jupiter time they are at a good height

[iwols]

hi when will these planets next be at a good height for us here in the uk cheers

[dweller25]

Mars - around October 2020

Jupiter and Saturn - 2022 onwards

[dweller25]

Those are years not times 😱

[paul mc c]

As David says.....not good at the minute.

[Stu]

Yes, not good. I made this chart as a rough guide. Mars good next year though. This is for 51 degrees North.

[russ]

2022 - struth! I'm sure the years will fly by...... 🙄

[russ]

On the upside, perhaps a good time to pick up planetary scopes and eyepieces cheaply before demand picks up closer the time.

[Stu]

1 minute ago, russ said:

2022 - struth! I'm sure the years will fly by...... 🙄

It ok, Saturn gets to its best in 2032!!!

[JamesF]

3 minutes ago, Stu said:

It ok, Saturn gets to its best in 2032!!!

Sadly by then I'll probably be past mine

James

[Knighty2112]

Patience grasshopper! Patience!  

[knobby]

On the plus side ... They're not getting any lower 👍

[MilwaukeeLion]

Neptune and Uranus looking good right now oppositions fast approaching.

[Geoff Barnes]

I don't know what the problem is??? 😆

[Stu]

54 minutes ago, Geoff Barnes said:

I don't know what the problem is??? 😆

Mr Barnes, I believe you have already recieved a warning for this type of behaviour! 🤣🤣🤣😥😥😥🤣🤣🤣

[kirkster501]

Yeah, it's pretty very bleak for the gas giants currently.  Quite unusual for them both to be so poorly placed.  My own calculations - for them to be above 45% in altitude from Nottingham skies - are 2022-2023 for Jupiter and as far out as 2028 for Saturn.  It really is not good at all.

Edited August 13, 2019 by kirkster501

[JamesF]

On 12/08/2019 at 14:44, Stu said:

Yes, not good. I made this chart as a rough guide. Mars good next year though. This is for 51 degrees North.

I had to do some quite hard thinking to explain the information in this graph to myself given the information that all the planets orbit in the plane of the ecliptic to within an angle of about six degrees, I think.

I believe it's down to the point in the year at which opposition occurs and the angle between the Earth's axis and the plane of the orbit of each planet (in the direction of the planet) at that point.  Given an inclination of 23.5 degrees to the ecliptic, I guess that would explain a variation between the minimum and maximum heights in the sky of 47 degrees, with the differences in the angles of the orbital planes of each planet accounting for the rest.  Does that sound correct?  So for a planet to be as high as possible (in the northern hemisphere) we'd want an opposition at the winter solstice when the Earth was at it's greatest deviation below the plane of the ecliptic and the planet is at it's highest deviation above?

James

Edited August 14, 2019 by JamesF

[MarsG76]

On 12/08/2019 at 23:44, Stu said:

Yes, not good. I made this chart as a rough guide. Mars good next year though. This is for 51 degrees North.

I guess being that high in latitude makes high planetary altitudes a rarity... being closer to the equator is winning. 

[Carbon Brush]

Thank you Stu for the excellent chart.
Proof that my failure to see planets not entirely a consequence of trees and hedges growing around me!

The chart gives me the incentive to ensure I have planetary viewing equipment ready.
Or maybe I can continue to say sorting that mount, or scope, or camera can wait till next week, or month, or year!

[Aussie Dave]

Nice one Stu. I would've expected Saturn's curve to be closer to Mars and Jupiter but you're right. I checked Stellarium, as accurate as that is years into the future and at mid Winter 2026 it's roughly 55 degrees at 8:20am here and for 2032 it's 35 degrees around midday near the sun 😮

here - south west corner of Western Australia.
 

[Stu]

1 hour ago, Aussie Dave said:

Nice one Stu. I would've expected Saturn's curve to be closer to Mars and Jupiter but you're right. I checked Stellarium, as accurate as that is years into the future and at mid Winter 2026 it's roughly 55 degrees at 8:20am here and for 2032 it's 35 degrees around midday near the sun 😮

here - south west corner of Western Australia.
 

That doesn't sound right Dave, I picked the oppositions each time. I think you are looking at the beginning of 2032, opposition is actually on Christmas Day so it will be at 35 degrees then, opposite the Sun.

[Aussie Dave]

Yes of course, opposition 😆 you're right again Stu, what was I thinking! I went to the same opposition month as this year, therein lies the problem 😊