Saturn

[chips]

Hi all

So the clouds finally parted and I had a couple of good nights viewing. I was driving home about 12:30 last Sunday night and the skies were crystal clear, so when I got home I looked at Cartes du ciel and Saturn looked like it was in my sky. I got my scope set up and went out the back, looked up and saw a bright star, aha, I thought, there's Saturn. So I lined my scope up and looked, hmmm, must need more magnification, changed the eye peice and looked again. More magnification !! Changed my eye piece again and had another look, it still just looked like a star. OK I thought, my scopes not up to it. But I wasn't down hearted, and thought, I may aswell just have a look around.

Just to the right of Saturn was another bright star, might aswell have a look at that I thought. So I panned round and got it lined up in the finder scope, looked through my eye piece and...... whoooaaaaa, there it was, Saturn. My very first view, and it almost took my breath away, I was so shocked. I was expecting just to see a star, a speck of light, but instead Saturn was looking right at me, rings and everything. So different from everything else I have seen, so clear, and defined. With its thin rings and a tiny black spot in one just to the left in my eye piece.

If it hadn't have been my own scope I wouldn't have believed it. I would have thought someone was playing tricks on me. It was almost cartoon like, like a small picture of saturn that someone had drawn on a dark sky, absolutely amazing. I must have spent an hour and a half just looking at it.

I still find it amazing that I can see these things at all, never mind in a 60 quid telescope, that I purchased from Lidl no less. the star I thought was Saturn turned out to be Arcturus, as best I can tell, and the little black spot, Titan.

This really is a fatastically wonderous and awe inspiring hobby as SGL is a fantastic and wonderful place to share my fantastic experiences. If only every night was cloudless.

All the best.

Chips

[Helen]

A great report - thanks for sharing! I think Saturn has that effect on all of us Chips! (In fact it just gave me a big grin when it appeared on my screen from my webcam )

Helen

[chips]

Thanks Helen, so its not just me then. I have viewed Saturn three times since then, and each time was as unbelievable as the first.

David

[John]

I first saw Saturn over 25 years ago with a 60mm scope Chips and was just a blown away as you have described ! - the rings were tilted more than they are now and, as you did, I just stared and stared at it, almost in disbelief.

Moments like that are what gets people hooked on this hobby !.

John

[PhillyDee]

I find that is one of the best sights out there for a beginner (And I am one!) Because it is, unmistakenly, Saturn. And beautiful to gaze at. People do not believe you when you point it out, but a quick glimpse through the scope amazes them.

[tinvek]

this is why saturn is my favourite astro target, the effect it has on people seeing it for the first time is always the same. ( and the second, third, fourth etc you get the idea ) if it's viewble i always have to look at it.

[TheThing]

I still stare and stare, every time I see it!

That's what astronomy is all about. Great report, thanks for sharing your experience with us.

[chips]

hi all

Thanks for the replies, its good to know that others felt the same the first time they saw Saturn too.

I read somewhere that the rings will start to open soon, but that it takes about 2 1/2 years for them to fully open. This will be a great sight to be able to follow. Hopefully my kids will see Saturn over the weekend, if the clouds part .

I would really like to be able to take some pictures and document for myself the opening of Saturns rings over the course of the 2 1/2 years, but I'm still a little confused as to the adopters and such things that I would need, or indeed where to find them. If anyone would like to give me help on this I would be very greatful.

All the best.

David.

[red dwalf]

My first site if Saturn was just the same infact got the wife out of bed to view it, she was moaning and moaning until she saw it then i couldn`t get my scope back !

the daughters friends came round the other night she`s 13 and not very impressed with dad looking at stars but her friend was keen to have a look, turned the scope onto Saturn and she was blown away so i think we have a convert to the hobby, she told my daughter and mum and dad all about it now have them coming round to have a look !

i to am getting interested in the photo aspects of the hobby and Saturn is the main reason i have bought my web cam, this seems to be the cheapest wasy of capturing and getting a good photo of the planets and moon, you need a computer but the software for capture and stacking video to get a good picture is free so look out for a second hand web cam with adapter. you need an adapter so it can fit into the focuser like an eyepiece. now I just need a laptop and i`m away, money, money, money but what price on fun.

[kentronix]

Saturn does the same to me, I still remember clearly the first time I saw it (only 18 months ago, through a tasco scope), I literally held my breath the second it appeared. Every time I looked away from the eyepiece I just went straight back to it. Its just so very 'there', shining just for me

I havent had a session since where I havent popped over to check its doing ok

From my experience there are so many other factors that make for a good viewing. If you get the rest right then even a cheap scope can give a pretty good image.

[PhillyDee]

Why not start with sketching? I tend to draw little circles with a biro in my little observing diary.

[Stephen Green]

Hi Chips I have been looking at Saturn for over 40 years and I still find it just as thrilling now as I did when I first saw it

Stephen

[Doc]

One of the wonders of the universe. That first glimpse of Saturn will last with you for ever.

[storebror]

Yes it's odd the effect Saturn has. I had my first view of it last Summer and got so excited I wanted to go and wake the neighbours up to show them (I managed to restrain myself!!) I agree, it's a sight that's never forgotten and I'm looking forward to my next view of it soon.

[Stars in Their Eyes]

I first saw it in 1986, a friend of my brothers had just bought a telescope and let me look at it and I remember being amazed that it was actually Saturn that I was looking at....the REAL thing! It always had a lasting impact on me and although I never bought myself a telescope until very recently I think that it was seeing Saturn for the first time that has made me buy telescope. I set it up the other week and there it was! just popping out behind some trees. Still an amazing sight that I kept having to go back to look at all evening.

[gobes]

I only recently got my very first look at Saturn too... and was also totally blown away. Must have stood there watching for hours. Can't wait for the angle to start changing now - so I can see the rings a little more.

[barkis]

Anyone who sees this majestic planet, whether for the first time, or the thousandth, will feel a sense of awe. Unless they are without emotion.

Saturn is the one object that is responsible for my wifes tolerance of astronomy. Without it's influence on her, my fund acquisision for gear would have been very difficult.

Ron.

[Chris Stacey]

Anyone who sees this majestic planet, whether for the first time, or the thousandth, will feel a sense of awe. Unless they are without emotion.

Saturn is the one object that is responsible for my wifes tolerance of astronomy. Without it's influence on her, my fund acquisision for gear would have been very difficult.

Ron.

Funny you should say that, I showed saturn to my wife for the first time a few nights ago - through my dob. I've now been given permission to get a small (ish) refractor with goto (out of the next injection of money we get). Plus she's reading through autostar suit so she knows how to use it herself.

Thank you Saturn!

[ukbigd]

I Love looking at saturn, If its a clear night its my first port of call, It blows my mind away every time i see it, And will never tire of looking at that majestic planet.

[coolhandluke]

I love saturn, I cant wait until the rings begin to tilt again. Does anyone know how many years do we have to wait?

[John]

I love saturn, I cant wait until the rings begin to tilt again. Does anyone know how many years do we have to wait?

I think we cross the ring plane (ie: they are truly edge on for us) in September this year. So another couple of years and they will start to present themselves nicely.

John

PS: If that seems a long time to wait consider this - I 1st read about the 1999 total solar eclipse in Partick Moores Observers book of Astronomy when I was 9 years old - in 1969. So I waited 30 years patiently - booked a cottage in Marazion, Cornwall 2 years ahead of the event, bought a special scope to observe it ......... and then it was cloudy during the eclipse of course

Such is the nature of this hobby !.

[weareborg]

I must admit myself, that Saturn has got to be my all time favourite object. I 1st saw it in my little old Tasco 60mm refractor and I was amazed that I could actually see it. Later, I built myself a small 4.5" dob and my 1st sight of Saturn in the dob was just amazing. Now that i have an 8" scope the views are nothing short of spectacular.

I' now waiting for Jupiter to come back into view so I can view 1 of the other great wonders of the universe.

Andy

[dark knight]

Totally agree with all that has been said about this celestial gem. Cartoon like is the best description I have heard of so far, it's like someone has stuck one of those transfers I used to collect as a child into the eyepiece. Brilliant report Chips, well done finding it in the end.

[chips]

hi all

Great to get so many replies, and to see that Saturn has evoked some emotion amongst you all. Saturn really is a spectecular sight, and I was very taken a back the first time I seen it, infact I am still taken a back when I see it, it makes me giddy.

Its also great to see that even the more expreciened among you, who have seen many many more things in the heavens than I, still appreciate Saturn as the unmistakedly wonderful sight it is.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

David

[millerman]

I set up my scope tonight hoping to see Saturn for the first time. This thread got me all revved up. Anyway couldn’t find it:icon_eek:. My garden points south so I don’t know why. It doesn’t look that hard.

As I am still very new to this I pointed towards what I thought was Saturn only to see binary star (or at least that’s what I thought it was) also the air was misty. Is this why everything seemed distorted and also that there was much stronger colours. Can anyone shed some light on this (scuse the pun)

cheers all