Heads Up..Saturn and M44

[Chubster]

One thing that always provides a fine sight is when a planet moves through or close to an astronomical deep-sky object. This is exactly what Saturn does on the last few days of the month as it enters the realm of M44 (Messier catalogue object 44) known as the Beehive or Praesepe open star cluster. So take a look with binoculars from 27th onwards and there will be this ringed world set amongst a group of several dozen stars - more if you have a telescope. The view of the month must be Saturn in the Beehive with the crescent Moon above on the 31st.

source Sky @ Night

Lets just pray to the cloud gods !

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Again? It did that at the end of Feb. didn't it?

Captain Chaos

[GordonCopestake]

Thats why they call them 'planets'

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

I though that they moved about a lot. This one with the tutu on seems to like M44 and as it only just missed last time, well I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Just Starry Nighted it and it gets very close just before hitting the ground and disappearing.

Who'd a thunk?

Captain Chaos

[GordonCopestake]

To be honest im amazed that anyone actually noticed that the planets moved differently to the stars over a few nights/weeks/months/years. I mean people noticed this thousands of years ago. HOW!? I can bearly find saturn still hehe. The greeks were inventing shells of glass spheres that held the stars and moved around the earth in complex patterns to predict where the planets moved next. "That bright dot was closer to that other bright dot last night wasn't it fred?", "Buggered if i know" etc

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

I'm amazed as well Gordon. They even gave loads of them names. The telly must have been even worse than it is now.

Captain Chaos

[Kain]

This could be my first chance to see a deep sky object

For once I want the clouds to sod off

Kain

[Kain]

I managed to catch a glimpse last night, I was well impressed on how much you could see!

Kain

[The Warthog]

It was in M44 a while ago. Has it gone into retrograde motion, or come out of it?

I am not surprised that the ancients noticed the planets move differently. If you have little else to do at night other than watch the stars, because Boston Legal's not on, you would get familiar with the star fields. After all, a few years ago Saturn and Jupiter were side by side, in Taurus if I remember correctly, and now they are quite far apart. You'd have to notice that