has my scope got the magnifacaton to.....

[lostinspace]

hi everyone. i live in a reasonably dark area, having just got my first telescope (skywatcher 6" with neq3 mount) i`m learning of the frustration of clouds! My first attempt however (early january) did bare some fruit, actually i was completely overwhelmed by what i saw. for somebody who had only ever dreamt of travelling in space, to be transported there through my telescope was fasinating! due to our inclement weather i have had to peek through the velux windows in our loft, my family are building quite strong leg muscles as keep draging them upstairs to see what else i`ve spotted! having had some stunning views of the moons surface i am eager to find other familiar plannets, satalites. I was told when getting this telescope that the magnifacation would be adiquate for viewing saturn or at least to be able to see the rings. is anyone familiar with the skywatcher 6", and do you know if this is a possibilty? thanks guys

[pvaz]

Now Jupiter is low in the south west right after sunset.

Mars is available in the east after 10pm or so. And Saturn rises in the east at about 2 am. Best time to get this 2 is between 4 and 7 am when they are highest in the sky, which usually means you'll get better seeing conditions and you can use max magnification.

[themos]

You'll have no problem with the rings, I can see them clearly in a smaller reflector. You should use an eyepiece with a focal length in the single digits for that.

[storebror]

Before I bought my Skywatcher 150p, I had it's smaller brother and I had no problem viewing Saturn with it - and believe me, the first time you see it, you will never forget it.

[LukeSkywatcher]

You'll have no problem with the rings, I can see them clearly in a smaller reflector. You should use an eyepiece with a focal length in the single digits for that.

I agree. I have found that with either of my scopes that a 9mm EP works best for planets.

[John]

You can make out Saturns ring system in a 60mm scope or even 15x70 binoculars if you hole them steady enough. Your scope will have no problem and you might even be able to spot the Cassini's division if conditions are good - the current ring tilt makes this pretty challenging at the moment though.

[Doc]

A scope of that size will also show at least 4 maybe 5 of Saturn's moons as well.

[haitch]

You'll find viewing conditions better if you take the scope outside and let it col down to outside temperature rather than peaking through a loft window. The air currents will distort the image.

Personally I always prefer to view with the lowest magnification that I can see what I'm looking for with. The more you magnify something the more you spread out the light you are receiving from it so it gets dimmer. Also at higher magnifications you will suffer more from the seeing which is the light getting bent as it passes through the atmosphere.

A couple of non-planetary targets you might want to try if you haven't already (particularly as they are easy to find) are The Pleiades and Orion nebula.

Not sure what Star maps / guides you've got but I recommend downloading the brilliant and free Stellarium on to your computer too that'll help you find your way around the sky.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Just worth mentioning. I have a 3.5" refractor. Saturn is STUNNING through it. The rings are visible (best when open wider). I even saw the Cassini Divide with this scope. I now also have a 5.1" Dob and i went in search of comparison images of Saturn as seen through both size apetures. I was astounded by difference. I cant wait to actually see Saturn with the new scope.

So to answer your question about observing Saturn with a 6" scope:

Oh boy are you in for a treat.

As stated above.....forget observing from a loft window. Get out there in the open air and use the scope as it is meant to be used.

Saturn zips across your FOV (well it did in my 3.5" scope), so really dont go below using a 9-10mm EP with it. 6" apeture may allow a bit more mag?.

Saturn is rising earlier and earlier now so i cant wait to get out with the 130P and have a go at it. I've never seen any of its moons with the 90EQ (maybe they were hidden by the rings or i thought they were background stars).

Here's the link to the differnt images of Saturn through different scopes. The images are "simulated" but i can vouch for the image of it in a 3" scope being exactly what i saw (maybe slightly larger as my scope is 3.5")

Simulated Telescope Planet Images

Jupiter was pretty amazing a few months back with my 90EQ. I distinctly saw 4 cloud belts with my 90EQ (with a 9mm EP). The 4 main Jovian moons are just fantastic to see and watch over a period of a few short hours as they change position.

[lostinspace]

thanks for the info on saturn and my scope luke, i`m just getting a coffee in me then i`m out to check out the viewing, i fear, from what i can see through the window i`m near, that its cloudy:icon_scratch:. however, after what you`ve told me about my scope i`m enjoying the antisipation. do you know when saturns rings are tilted for better viewing? thanks again luke. also i downloaded the free stalarium maps, they`re amazing, frankly i am shocked there free, but happy too!

[dazmoraz]

I have not long had my sw150p too but im not setting my alarm for saturn yet cause its just too cloudy,but it will do the job just fine.Had a few views of Jupiter and you can see bands and its moons fine in not perfect sky conditions.You can get some good close up,s of are moon too.