Saturn 27/05/23 at 04:00 to 04:30 BST

[josefk]

So over here https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/410225-a-spring-catch-up-venus-luna-sn-2023ixf-familiar-pne-and-fabulous-seeing/#comment-4383394 i described observing from evening blue sky to post dawn blue sky on 26th/27th May - it was a great session and ended in what was for me a quite a specular view of Saturn in incredible seeing and against a beautiful pale blue sky. I made a few thumbnail sketches at the scope and have been like Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind over this past weekend - obsessively (and frustratingly) trying to transform those thumbnails into something that matched what i observed. My drawing skills fail me and my renderings have been either too subdued or too dramatic and i can't render exactly what i saw in both subtlety and clarity. Nevertheless i am least unhappy with this one below:

...though in sheer frustration with pen and paper i also tried an electronic sketch which is probably the most accurate capture/rendering/version of the observation:

 

There are several firsts for me in this observation - shadow on the rings, shadow of the rings and such a prominent ruddy band.

Kit was the TOA-130, Tak 5LE Ortho and TOE 3.3 'Ortho'. It was probably a super expensive observation because now i know i "need" the TOE 4mm for Saturn later this year...

 

 

[IB20]

1 hour ago, josefk said:

So over here https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/410225-a-spring-catch-up-venus-luna-sn-2023ixf-familiar-pne-and-fabulous-seeing/#comment-4383394 i described observing from evening blue sky to post dawn blue sky on 26th/27th May - it was a great session and ended in what was for me a quite a specular view of Saturn in incredible seeing and against a beautiful pale blue sky. I made a few thumbnail sketches at the scope and have been like Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind over this past weekend - obsessively (and frustratingly) trying to transform those thumbnails into something that matched what i observed. My drawing skills fail me and my renderings have been either too subdued or too dramatic and i can't render exactly what i saw in both subtlety and clarity. Nevertheless i am least unhappy with this one below:

...though in sheer frustration with pen and paper i also tried an electronic sketch which is probably the most accurate capture/rendering/version of the observation:

 

There are several firsts for me in this observation - shadow on the rings, shadow of the rings and such a prominent ruddy band.

Kit was the TOA-130, Tak 5LE Ortho and TOE 3.3 'Ortho'. It was probably a super expensive observation because now i know i "need" the TOE 4mm for Saturn later this year...

 

 

What wonderful sketches, getting me very excited for planetary observing later in the year.

Hate to cost you money but the 4mm TOE is my favourite eyepiece I’ve ever used. It’s a truly marvellous planetary EP.

Edited May 31, 2023 by IB20

[josefk]

i kind of knew it @IB20 - i can make 4mm with an 8mm Ethos and 2x Powermate BUT i have found the 3.3mm TOE quite remarkable and love the 5mm 5LE  so a 4mm TOE between them now feels inevitable. i actually wish there was a 6mm TOE as well because that would be a great focal length for me too.

[IB20]

2 minutes ago, josefk said:

i kind of knew it @IB20 - i can make 4mm with an 8mm Ethos and 2x Powermate BUT i have found the 3.3mm TOE quite remarkable and love the 5mm 5LE  so a 4mm TOE between them now feels inevitable. i actually wish there was a 6mm TOE as well because that would be a great focal length for me too.

Yes I’ve said before I’d happily throw my money at 5 & 6mm TOEs!

[mikeDnight]

That's a great sketch. It's been years since I've made any sketches of Saturn simply because it's been too low to show much detail. Your sketches have inspired me to get off my lazy rear end and give it another go.  Thanks!

[josefk]

A beautiful dawn chorus accompaniment too @mikeDnight - i was very well compensated for the time of day because even while only at 17 degrees the air was brilliant after a cold night. i'm stoked myself for more of the same!

Edited May 31, 2023 by josefk

[Alan White]

If I could cope with such a late one or early one as it really is then I would be delighted to have made sucha decent sketch as yours.
The one item I an finding is an essential for decent observing and trying to sketch (in my case terribly) is a tracking mount,
having just rediscovered the ease and fun of my Vixen GP mount things may change, you never know I might suddenly find my inner artist.

The eyepieces you note, clearly have a well deserved reputation, the HR 3.4 I used to have was stunning, it did something quite magical,
clearly the TOE falls into a similar if wider camp.

[josefk]

21 minutes ago, Alan White said:

If I could cope with such a late one or early one as it really is then I would be delighted to have made sucha decent sketch as yours.
The one item I an finding is an essential for decent observing and trying to sketch (in my case terribly) is a tracking mount,
having just rediscovered the ease and fun of my Vixen GP mount things may change, you never know I might suddenly find my inner artist.

The eyepieces you note, clearly have a well deserved reputation, the HR 3.4 I used to have was stunning, it did something quite magical,
clearly the TOE falls into a similar if wider camp.

i'm too lazy for this time of day to ever be early for me - i can't get up. Its not too bad as a late one though - the sleep debt only needs paying back bit by bit over the following days 😴

...and i've come and gone over the topic of a tracking mount - there are times when i could really see the benefit!

Edited May 31, 2023 by josefk

[dweller25]

Great sketch and well done for being awake so early 👍

I so want to do this too but I need my sleep 😱 so will wait a bit……

 

[dweller25]

17 minutes ago, josefk said:

i'm too lazy for this time of day to ever be early for me - i can't get up. Its not too bad as a late one though - the sleep debt only needs paying back bit by bit over the following days 😴

...and i've come and gone over the topic of a tracking mount - there are times when i could really see the benefit!

For the planets a tracking mount in my opinion is essential as it allows you to watch the planet without distraction.

[josefk]

2 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

For the planets a tracking mount in my opinion is essential as it allows you to watch the planet without distraction.

Yeah. i get it it. Definitely. I could fit the motor kit to my current mount and I've heard myself at PAS how unobtrusively quiet it is but even in terms of only my astro shopping list it's quite far down the list at the mo...😁