Exceptional Skies — Titan!

[Ralphf]

I have been somewhat disappointed this year at the degradation of sky-gazing conditions. This is mainly because my town has installed new, brighter street lights. In addition, there has been a lot of cloud cover at my location.

Summer in Japan also does not usually provide decent viewing conditions because of high humidity. 

 

Despite all these, “negatives,” I noted the late afternoon sky between towering cumulus clouds being exceptionally deep blue. So, around 22:00 hours local I went out on my balcony and was pleased to see with naked-eye, a clear outline of most of the Scorpio constellation. I grabbed my Pentax SP 20x60 binos and began checking out nearby Saturn and Jupiter. The Galilean Moons were easily seen, so I tried for Saturn’s Titan moon which I had yet to see in my 6+ years in the hobby. I set the binoculars on top of the balcony fence and made some minute focusing adjustments. Intermittently I was able to view a small white dot at the 8 o’clock position next to elongated Saturn. This was a first for me but I wanted to make sure. According to my Sky Guide app, Titan would move up to the 9 o’clock position by midnight. I went back outside a few minutes before midnight and aimed at Saturn again. Yes, the small white dot was in the correct position. Sense of accomplishment : )

 

Other items of note included M30 in Capricorn. Hadn’t seen that cluster since last Autumn just after sunsets. As my location is pretty far to the south, I was able to catch some of the stars of the Grus constellation — Al Nair and Beta Gruis, for example. And a bit later I was able to locate Neptune quite easily which is only about the 3rd time to see it. This time, being the clearest and most stable. Noted the whole Orion constellation, nebula, etc., rising in the east, looking very much like a winter evening in clarity. 

 

All in all, an unusually good summer session. 

[RobertI]

Excellent - I have never used  binoculars bigger than 10x50 so the views must have been impressive.