locating Neptune (is that possible for a small scope)

[crovax]

Hi,

I've just noticed that Neptune is hanging near Jupiter and I am going to use this and try to locate it. But I am not sure if I'll recognize it. My scope is 900mm/130mm reflector and I'll be searching for it with 25mm EP....but will I acctually see something more than faint dot?

It's just I've seen photos of Pluto and they demoralized me. I mean the photos where you see thousand of faint dots and an arrow pointing to one of them says "this is Pluto". I know that Neptune is way larger than Pluto...but still the disptance is so huge

So what do you think? Is it worth trying? Or will I just see a tiny dot that I'll never be able to distinguish from star?

[GazOC]

Its quite easy to spot, itl looks pretty much like a (very) blue star, you might be able to make out a disk but don't expect anything Earth shattering.

[Talitha]

It's a pretty easy target, i got it a number of years ago with 7x35 binoculars. Refer to a chart while you're looking for it.. Neptune will be the 7.9 magnitude 'star' that's not on the chart.

[Doc]

Before I got any of my scopes I saw it in a Kowa TSN12 birding scope.

[Mark at Beaufort]

The pleasure is not only viewing the planet but locating it and then seeing its movement against the background stars over a few days to confirm. As Gaz stated its like a blue star.

Use a free computer programme like Stellarium and zoom in to show the position of Neptune against the surrounding star field and then cross check using your scope.

Mark

[JamesK]

It's very close to Jupiter this month I believe, and yes you will be able to see it in your scope, but I would try with binos first if you have them, because it will be in the same FOV as Jupiter, an 8th mag blue star less than 1 degree (roughly two full moon widths) away from Jupiter over the next few nights. Once you have it's position worked out, go for it in the scope. Not sure about Neptune in a scope but you may see a very small disk... don't expect any surface detail, though.

[crovax]

Thanks for all the replies! I don't expect any epic views of Neptune. If I see something different from a faint dot, I'll be pretty happy. So a tiny blue disk will be more than enough.

Yes, I have binos and software and will try to locate Neptune with binos first. However I don't know any specs of my binos so I am not sure if they are good enough to see anything.

It's a pretty easy target, i got it a number of years ago with 7x35 binoculars. Refer to a chart while you're looking for it.. Neptune will be the 7.9 magnitude 'star' that's not on the chart.

I've tried searching objects this way but it is too hard for me. When I look into scope I see tons of stars and it's very hard to tell which star shouldn't be here. Usually I simply scan the approximate area of the object and trying to locate an unusual object that doesn't look like a star. So if the object makes a tiny dot (like Pluto) there is no chance for me to notice it. Actually while locating my first target Saturn I've confused it with star several times But now I am a bit more experienced and have wider range of EPs.

[ashenlight]

Hi crovax,

I really do know what you mean about finding it hard to ascertain what exactly is a star and what may be, for instance, a comet - or infact Neptune.

For finding comet Holmes a while ago, I found where I thought it should be in a particular area of sky (it may have been near the beehive cluster - I have (stupidly) discarded the sketches ) and made a VERY brief - but as accurate as possible - sketch of the area. I then reviewed this the next night, and so on for about a week (or a weeks equivalent of clear skies...) and noted any movement of anything I suspected to be 'not a star.' This is how I determined I was looking at the comet

Perhaps someone could confirm this, but I am pretty sure planets do not twinkle like stars too. Because they are (relatively) close to us, their light doesn't get as disturbed as the stars which are huge distances away, as their light travels towards us. Perhaps you could use this to try and find out if what you are looking for is, in fact, Neptune?

Also, have you tried Stellarium before? Some have mentioned it before, it's a fantastic piece of software for the beginner and beyond. Easy to use too

I will be attempting to locate Neptune with my 5" newt in the coming days (just waiting for a cloud free dawn sky) so I will keep you posted on how I get on. Keep us posted on your hunt too

[kniclander]

I would be very surprised if you could make out a disc in a small scope - but finding it is a real buzz. Good luck

[ashenlight]

Even if it's just a point of light I'd be amazed!

[crovax]

Hi, unfortunately both weekend nights were cloudy so I have nothing to report.

Hi crovax,

Also, have you tried Stellarium before? Some have mentioned it before, it's a fantastic piece of software for the beginner and beyond. Easy to use too

Thanks for the advice but before I discovered it, I was already into Starry Night Pro.

For finding comet Holmes a while ago, I found where I thought it should be in a particular area of sky (it may have been near the beehive cluster - I have (stupidly) discarded the sketches ) and made a VERY brief - but as accurate as possible - sketch of the area. I then reviewed this the next night, and so on for about a week (or a weeks equivalent of clear skies...) and noted any movement of anything I suspected to be 'not a star.' This is how I determined I was looking at the comet

Yes, I understand this method and locating objects like the original discoverers probably did sounds fun. But unfortunately I can view skies max 2 days a week (if the skies are good of course). That's because I moved my scope to the country house where I am having rest on weekends. But on the other hand this gives me 2 days of pitch dark skies vs 5 days of terribly poluted skies in a rather big city where I live.

We're having a holiday at the end of this week and this weekend will be a long one. So if the skies are clear, I'll have 3 nights of observation and that's when I'll try to locate it. Also I am going to get up in the early morning to look at Mars, Venus and probably Mercury.

[Talitha]

Hi Crovax, if you're clear this weekend, you'll definitely see Neptune (magnitude 7.9).. all you need to do is determine which point of light it is.

I had absolutely no problem identifying it on 25 June using my 80mm achromatic refractor (f/5; 400mm focal length). In fact, i also watched the egress of Io (magnitude 5.0) from behind Jupiter. Yes, Io's a bit brighter than Neptune but it was emerging from behind Jupiter's bright -2.7 magnitude limb. Don't worry, you'll do just fine with Neptune.. and the rest.

[Taff]

Hi' in the past i have seen the planet through my 10x50s bins.It just looks like a blue star.Mark

[crovax]

Thanks for the support and help! I have a plan of scanning the area at 36x and checking every bluish star in that location by magnifying it to my maximum (up to 225x or even 270x). Will it stop being a dot at this magnification?

[michigander]

Perhaps someone could confirm this, but I am pretty sure planets do not twinkle like stars too. Because they are (relatively) close to us, their light doesn't get as disturbed as the stars which are huge distances away, as their light travels towards us.

You're right that Neptune won't twinkle as much as a star. The reason is that it is not a 'point source' like a star, and therefore not subject to every tiny movement of the atmosphere. Being such a small disk it may still twinkle a bit.

Dana

[crovax]

Well, still no luck with Neptune. But I think I've at last managed to find Ring Nebula though I am not sure it was it. The full moon was soooo bright that the Ring looked veeery faint....actually so faint that it could be my imagination. I think I'll try again when moon is a little smaller.

The good news is that I observed Venus even though I had to stay up till 3am. Also when searching for Andromeda I accidentally found an amazing DSO. It was under Cassiopeia and a little left from Andromeda. It's the most butiful DSO I've seen so far. It looked like two close heaps of stars with very bright cores. I believe it was Double Cluster but I am not sure. I guess I'll need to find Double Cluster to make sure it was it. If all clusters are like that, I guess I'll be hunting them on the nearest few weekends.

Also since Jupiter moved rather high already, I managed to get a very clear image of it at 225x and it was amazing. I didn't expect it to be that beautifull in 5". The banding of its atmosphere was very clearly visible and I spent quite some time looking at Jupiter.

[Talitha]

Sure sounds like the Double Cluster to me. I haven't been staying out long enough for Neptune to get too far away from the horizon but i did notice that the moonlight really bleached it out compared to what it looked like a few weeks ago. Keep trying though, it's still there.

[mdstuart]

Crovax

Great reports from your 130mm scope. I had one and it is very good indeed and you will see Neptune. If you up the power it becomes a very small fuzzy patch which looks a bit different to a star on high power. So you should be able to tell it was Neptune.

Also draw the stars you can see and then go in and check it on Stellarium to confirm your sighting. Then go back a few nights later and it will have moved.

Glad you are enjoying the sky.

Mark

[brianb]

Also draw the stars you can see and then go in and check it on Stellarium to confirm your sighting. Then go back a few nights later and it will have moved.

Yes, that's the key ... a "star" that shouldn't be there might just possibly be a nova, if so it won't have moved when you look a few days later.

Neptune is easy to see with minimal optical aid - a really awful pair of binoculars is more than enough - but to see it as a disc takes a high power, steady air and a scope of 8" or more to be sure.

[crovax]

Well, I've accurately studied the position of stars around Jupiter and if the weather is fine this weekend, I'll definitely locate it. As far as I see Jupiter, Mu Capricorni (which is the brightest star in rather big area around Jupiter right now) and Neptune almost line up. So finding it shouldn't be a big deal.

Then I'll put my 130mm scope to the maximum power and will tell you if I see at least tiny disk. Who knows, may be I'll have luck with that.

[crovax]

Well, learning star pattern really payed off. I've easily located Mu Capricorni and then Neptune which looked exactly like a tiny star. At 225x it looked like a fuzzy smudge but that may be due to air turbulence. I'll check again this weekend and will write back if I manage to make out the disk. Anyway I've found really many other things: Venus, Mars, M57, Andromeda, Double Cluster, Pleiades and all in one night So it was a really impressive night. Also I've observerd ISS flyby and a bright thing a little later that I even managed to catch into telescope. I checked software later and it seems to be Progress-M. Also I was trying to find M29 and I hink I did but with all the mess around Sadr (Gamma Cygni) I am not really sure which heap of stars should be referred as M29. And on the top of that I've learned new stars: Deneb and Altair and new constellations: Bootes, Auilla abd Cygnus.

By the way I've noticed that there are different ways to draw the constellations. In my software there are different modes: Asterisms, Astronomical, Reyhs, Zodiac, etc. What is the most common way that everybody uses?