Hic sunt gigantes!

[badhex]

Hello all,

Another clear night so thought I'd I try again for C/2017 K2 Panstarrs with a backup plan of the gas giants, which should be better placed as it was later in the night/morning.

Well, it's a good job I had a backup plan as  Panstarrs was a total bust. A combination of factors - transparency, Ophiuchus being lower and further west over a more densely populated area of the city combined with the moon being higher up - meant I could not even find M10 as a guide post. The less said the better!

For some more reliable targets, I moved first over to Jupiter, switching up quickly to my favourite combo from the last session - a barlowed BCO 10mm (179x). Seeing was pretty good but not perfect, and similarly transparency was not perfect but actually I think this helped. Lots more detail than last time and I spent a long time there. I had managed to dial in focus very finely by clamping down the focuser lock so the fine focuser moved only a touch each time. The NEB was almost cutting across Jupiter like a canyon. SEB typically less visible but phasing in and out. All four Galilean moons very visible. Due to the location of the moon and height of the tripod I rotated the focuser so I was facing away from the moon, which meant Jupiter was almost but not quite upside down. Not my preferred view for picking out features, but still lots of detail visible.

At this point Saturn was out from behind the buildings, so again after locating I switched up to the 10mm BCO + barlow. Pretty steady seeing here, and plenty of detail despite the proximity of the moon. Cassini division not visible at all times, but popping into view regularly. A darker shade of atmospheric banding visible about halfway between the north pole and rings. Do we call that the Northern equatorial belt, same as Jupiter? I guess so.
Titan was very visible as always, but this time I also picked out Rhea at about the 11 o'clock position! This marks the first time I've seen any other moons of Saturn, and may have muttered some exclamation to that fact. Initially I was only able to pick it up with inverted vision, and then later able to find it directly. It never ceases to amaze me what hidden detail we find with extended time at the eyepiece. After checking with Stellarium which moon I'd seen (I'd never have known it was specifically Rhea) I mentally noted the positions of Dione, Tethys and others and even tried letting Saturn itself slip off the edge of view to see if any other moons were detectable, but did not pick any others up.

I was starting to get cold, but on a high from my personal discovery of a new gas-giant satellite, I decided to try for Uranus which was well risen at this point. As usual I started with the 40mm and a rough point to the correct area of sky, whilst consulting Stellarium once more for way points. In a rare case of Starlink being useful to Astronomers, a train of 5-10 satellites were due to pass incredibly close to the planet so I ended up finding it really quickly. Again, I switched to the current favourite combo for planetary work, barlowed BCO 10mm giving 179x. I was able to resolve the ice giant to a tiny, pale green-blue ball, much different to the stars nearby. First time I have definitively located Uranus without a goto mount, so once again very pleased with this outcome.

As it was now hopefully high enough and out from behind a massive crane, I figured I also might as well try for Mars, then bed. With the same planetary combo, Mars was clearly about three-quarters and gibbous. Unfortunately lots of shimmer and colourful fringing from the atmosphere, but a dark central patch was visible, with maybe some bright poles? Overall it was a bit of a mess - like a small red potato.

 

The night was clearly the night of the Giants!

Edited July 18, 2022 by badhex

[markse68]

Small red potato? 🤣

Nice report Badhex  I haven’t tried for that comet yet but it sounds like it’ll be hard and disappointing from my location. Jeremy had me out trying in vain for the Lapetus transit but no chance- seeing was mushy and hindered by a lot of unforecast light clouds- I couldn’t even see Cassini division. Not that i would have had much chance anyway- the other night when i could see 4 of the brighter moons, I couldn’t see Lapetus with my 8”.

Jupiter was mush too so after an hour or so enjoying the moon and cloud transits I thought my time would be better spent catching zzzs

Mark

[Xilman]

You might need to get your spill-chucker serviced. The satellite is Iapetus --- India Alfa Papa Echo Tango Uniform Sierra.

[badhex]

19 minutes ago, markse68 said:

Small red potato? 🤣

Nice report Badhex  I haven’t tried for that comet yet but it sounds like it’ll be hard and disappointing from my location. Jeremy had me out trying in vain for the Lapetus transit but no chance- seeing was mushy and hindered by a lot of unforecast light clouds- I couldn’t even see Cassini division. Not that i would have had much chance anyway- the other night when i could see 4 of the brighter moons, I couldn’t see Lapetus with my 8”.

Jupiter was mush too so after an hour or so enjoying the moon and cloud transits I thought my time would be better spent catching zzzs

Mark

Haha thanks Mark, potato was what I wrote on my notes! Perhaps I've seen The Martian too often 😂

I'm in a city (Berlin) although not the centre, so it's nearly, but not quite, as bad as it gets - I'm also only using a 102mm frac, and @Epick Crom commented on a previous post that it was only just possible for them under Bortle 6 with a 10' dob and averted vision. 

I had also tried for Panstarrs once before with a ZS73 under Bortle 4 (and some moon) back in June, and I couldn't get it then either. 

[markse68]

25 minutes ago, Xilman said:

You might need to get your spill-chucker serviced. The satellite is Iapetus --- India Alfa Papa Echo Tango Uniform Sierra.

nope not spell checker- ignorance!

Thanks Xilman 😬

Mark

[wookie1965]

I cannot wait for school to finish so I dont have to be up early then I can get some late night early morning viewing in. Great report Joe really good read 4 planets  not bad.

[GordonD]

10 hours ago, badhex said:

Perhaps I've seen The Martian too often 😂

😆😆😆😆

[badhex]

8 hours ago, wookie1965 said:

I cannot wait for school to finish so I dont have to be up early then I can get some late night early morning viewing in. Great report Joe really good read 4 planets  not bad.

Thanks Paul, pretty happy with the night, especially seeing Rhea. I also can't wait for darker nights - every little helps in the city. 

[badhex]

One thing I forgot to add was a grab from Stellarium showing the position of Rhea aat the approx time of viewing: