Lunar Occultations of Saturn

[CentaurZ]

The magnificently ringed planet Saturn is currently undergoing a series of twelve monthly lunar occultations beginning this past April and ending next February.

As always, each occultation will only be observable in a specifically determined region.

Two will be observable from Western Europe including the British Isles: predawn 2024 AUG 21 and early evening 2025 JAN 04.

One will be observable from western North America: predawn 2024 SEP 17.

One will be observable from southern Florida USA: evening 2024 NOV 10.

During the weeks prior to those four events, I’ll provide more details in the forum for Observing-Lunar.

Edited May 29 by CentaurZ

[Paz]

Thanks for the heads up I've put these in my calendar. The last moon/planet meet up I saw was Venus, a fine sight and worth the effort it to to see it. Saturn will probably be even better.

[Tony Acorn]

Thanks CentaurZ.
This is one of the events that pushed me into "splashinng the cash" on a new "mobile rig", partly because with recent housebuilding around here we've gone from Bortle 4 a decade ago to Bortle 5 now and I susp[ect that will only get worse. I'll be off to Nortj Herts / South Cambs to escape to darker?? areas on August 21

 

Tony D

[CentaurZ]

Here's my graze map for the 2024 AUG 21 occultation of Saturn:

[CraigT82]

Thanks for the heads up. SkySafari has contact at 4.26 am on the 21st Aug (for me in Taunton). 26 degrees altitude in the south west sky.

 

Edited July 14 by CraigT82

[CentaurZ]

Below are my data and graphics for the 2024 AUG 21 Saturn occultation as seen from London's Harrison Planetarium. The timings are for Saturn's center. "Star" is Saturn.

Edited July 20 by CentaurZ

[Stu]

On 14/07/2024 at 18:24, CraigT82 said:

Thanks for the heads up. SkySafari has contact at 4.26 am on the 21st Aug (for me in Taunton). 26 degrees altitude in the south west sky.

 

Forgot you were so close Craig, I’m in Crewkerne 👍

[CraigT82]

13 minutes ago, Stu said:

Forgot you were so close Craig, I’m in Crewkerne 👍

Ahh yes not far at all, we should go for a pint halfway in Illminster or somewhere like that. Can chat at the Cerne Abbas star party, really looking forward to that as not been to one since Luksall in about 2015 I think. 

[Stu]

35 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

Ahh yes not far at all, we should go for a pint halfway in Illminster or somewhere like that. Can chat at the Cerne Abbas star party, really looking forward to that as not been to one since Luksall in about 2015 I think. 

Sounds like a plan 👍

[bosun21]

Now marked in my calendar with email and phone notifications set. I only hope that the astro gods are in a benevolent mood then. Hoping to capture a series of images and maybe an animation 🤞.

[Gfamily]

They'll be rising fairly close together on the night of 24/25th of this month (about 1½ degrees  apart).

Might be worth a low power photo

[Paz]

Just a reminder that the first occultation for European observers is tonight (or rather, early in the morning on Wednesday 21 August).

[geoflewis]

I haven't done any AP for several months, so just pulled my QSI CCD camera off the C14 and replaced it with the imaging train I need for planetary/lunar imaging. I'll need to check focus on the Moon once that's high enough, hopefully around 10:30pm (just to get rough focus), then hit the sack for a few hours and hope the sky is clear around 4am, to get fully dialled in ready for the event....🤞

Edited August 20 by geoflewis

[CraigT82]

Forecast cloud here in the morning and jet stream right over the UK. Not going to set up the big guns but might put out the small frac to have a peep between cloud.  

[geoflewis]

3 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

Forecast cloud here in the morning and jet stream right over the UK. Not going to set up the big guns but might put out the small frac to have a peep between cloud.  

Yep, the jetstream forecast couldn't be much worse, but what can you do.....🤷‍♂️

[Les Ewan]

I saw my first Saturn occultation way back in the early hours of 3 March 1974 viewed through my newly acquired 60mm Prinz refractor. Then after over three decades I saw two within weeks of each other!

The first was on 2nd March 2007 and a daylight event on the 22nd May 2007 .

For anyone who has never seen a Saturn occultation here are some images of what to exepect. I got  these images using a Concord 4mp compact camera and digiscoping bracket. The telescope used was a 200mm f5 Newtonian and 20 mm plossl.

The first thing you notice is just how small Saturn actually appears  when compared to the lunar disc.

[geoflewis]

42 minutes ago, Les Ewan said:

I saw my first Saturn occultation way back in the early hours of 3 March 1974 viewed through my newly acquired 60mm Prinz refractor. Then after over three decades I saw two within weeks of each other!

The first was on 2nd March 2007 and a daylight event on the 22nd May 2007 .

For anyone who has never seen a Saturn occultation here are some images of what to exepect. I got  these images using a Concord 4mp compact camera and digiscoping bracket. The telescope used was a 200mm f5 Newtonian and 20 mm plossl.

The first thing you notice is just how small Saturn actually appears  when compared to the lunar disc.

Excellent images Les, I'm yet to witness this myself, so fingers crossed for a clear sky tomorrow morning.

[JeremyS]

An article about observing tomorrow’s occultation here: https://britastro.org/2024/observers-challenge-a-lunar-occultation-of-saturn-on-2024-august-21

[CentaurZ]

I suggest that replies be posted in my related thread for this particular 2024 AUG 21 occultation in the forum Observing-Lunar.

A moderator once advised me to post an early alert here in "Heads Up" before creating a more active discussion thread in a forum for a particular subject.

This I have done for both cases.

Edited August 20 by CentaurZ

[gregbwfc]

Sat at back of house in the extension, handy spot for setting up and rain has just started bouncing down.

This weather, grrrrr...

Oh well, I get up at 5.30 for work so a bit earlier won't hurt, just in case 🤞

[bosun21]

3 hours ago, CraigT82 said:

Forecast cloud here in the morning and jet stream right over the UK. Not going to set up the big guns but might put out the small frac to have a peep between cloud.  

Yes I was about to set up to image the occultation but on going outside it is windy with gusts here in Oxford. This in conjunction with the Jetstream being directly over the south of England i abandoned the session. I'll have to settle for either my 120ED or ED80 and watch it visually. At least it's clear.

Edited August 20 by bosun21

[PeterStudz]

4 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

Yes I was about to set up to image the occultation but on going outside it is windy with gusts here in Oxford. This in conjunction with the Jetstream being directly over the south of England i abandoned the session. I'll have to settle for either my 120ED or ED80 and watch it visually. At least it's clear.

Good luck! It’s clear here but the forecast is for it to cloud over at about 3am. However, I’ve never seen one of these and I’ll give it a go.

[lunator]

I saw the March 2007 event. I am up at 5 tomorrow morning so I might just get up earlier. The clouds may have other ideas tho'. 

[heliumstar]

Beautiful sight already here.

Edited August 20 by heliumstar

[Les Ewan]

A brisk breeze here with ragged low level cloud scudding by.  Hardly ideal conditions but the clearer patches are becoming larger so fairly confident in seeing at least some of  this event.