Unscheduled Part Deux

[John]

I've already had an observing session tonight, reported here, with my 12 inch dobsoninan:

However......... I made the mistake of popping outside to have a quick look before I turned in

Saturn and Jupiter were very much in view, above the local rooflines and saying "come on, look at me"

So out goes the Tak 100 refractor on the Skytee II. No cooling down time with that scope. Straight down to business with the gas giants.

Saturn looked exquisite. The Cassini Division was clear and sharp at 200x. A couple of dusky brown equatorial bands were showing around the creamy disk. A subtle ring shadow was cast onto the southern hemisphere of the planet while the planets disk itself cast a narrow shadow onto the ring system. Beyond the orbit of the rings the moons Iapetus, Titan, Rhea and Dione were glimmering. A view like that could hook a weak person on astronomy I reckon - dangerous stuff ! 

Thence to Jupiter. The giant of our solar system looks excellent. Five cloud belts including the two prominent equatorial ones, adorn the disk. Dusky polar "hoods" over the north and south poles of the planet. The Great Red Spot is hiding around the other side but the view is still excellent. The 4 Galilean Moons laid out as if with a ruler either side of the Jovian disk. Wonderful !!!.

Great stuff - a two part session. And now it's really time to hit the sack !

 

Edited July 16, 2021 by John

[Pixies]

Had observed Jupiter earlier with the ST80. Very little detail, as you would expect with this scope, but the Northern equitorial belt was very clear and dark.

[wookie1965]

Brilliant John I finished with Saturn one of the best views I have had in a long time.

[Kon]

I agree that Saturn and Jupiter looked great last night with a lot of details despite the murky conditions at 230am. It was the first time I managed to see the Cassini division and some distinct banding . Several coloured bands were observed on Jupiter.

8 hours ago, John said:

A view like that could hook a weak person on astronomy I reckon - dangerous stuff !

I agree. My wife whenever sees Jupiter and especially Saturn tells me that they do not feel/look real.

The back-to-back sessions are getting their toll a bit in combination of ful working day.....weekend seems to be clear so .....more viewing.😍🔭

[Deadlake]

First chance to see Jupiter and Saturn this year. Saturn looked the better of the two, higher in the sky when I viewed around midnight.

First time I has a tracking mount that made following the planets easier and an APM 5mm XWA which framed the Jovian system perfectly.

Even managed to look a Jupiter with a HR 1.6 mm  which was pushing the limits of the scope.