Outer planets plus some deeper stuff

[John]

Out late this evening with the 100mm refractor.

Seeing not the best but Saturn and Jupiter still looked quite good at 180x.

4 Galilean moons strung out one one side of Jupiter. Around Saturn, Titan, Iapetus, Rhea and Dione were seen, Tethys and Enceladus a little too close to the saturnian disk to be picked out in these conditions.

A few degrees to the north of Saturn I could pick out the Saturn Nebula (NGC 7009) and the small globular cluster Messier 72. Had a good look for the nearby Messier 73 and found a rather ill defined group of 3-4 stars but nothing more. I think that's probably it !

Moved towards the west back into Aquarius to pick up my first view of Neptune this season. It's just a bit below the circlet of Pisces. While very small in angular diameter compared with the giants Saturn and Jupiter, Neptune is clearly not a star at around 200x magnification and at 300x the tiny pale blue marble-like disk is quite clear. Neptune is just 2.34 arc seconds in apparent diameter but it is 4.3 billion KM away from us.

Another enjoyable session despite the seeing being not the best.

A slightly orange tinged crescent moon is rising towards the north east now. Time to bring the scope in I think

 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by John

[russ]

Great report John. Sounds like a nice observing session. I've not tried Neptune (or Uranus) in years. Now i'm dying to get out again. Our weather forecast was for thick cloud last night, so never put the scope out. Looked out the window at midnight, crystal clear. Wish i just went out anyway.

[wookie1965]

I set up I was fighting with my mount not going to where it should finally managed get that going. 

Looked at Saturn and Jupiter like you said John not the best seeing very watery swung around to M31 and it was a mushy mess so give up packed up that was 12.45am.

Not sure if I have seen M72 or M73 I will have to check. 

No idea for how long but the lamp at the back of me that stops me seeing South is out so I can look there when I get a clear night Aquarius is beckoning a constellation I have only skirted around. 

Thanks for posting.