Saturn looking just perfect

[Dazraz]

After reading a few pages in march's edition of sky at night i jumped out to get a few hours with saturn and she looked just perfect other planets i saw around her was Titan and Rhea i think. I was quite amazed actually as i thought my telescopes was going to be out of allignment, but once again i escaped it but my new years wish was to learn allignament so that i will

Regards Daz

[LukeSkywatcher]

Titan and Rhea are moons of Saturn..........not planets.

But i know what you meant.

I may heve seen them also but know so little of them that i cant tell them from background stars YET.

[John]

I use the Java applet linked to in the Sky & Telescope article below to show where the moons are and which is which. The most I've managed to see at one time is 6 with my 10" newtonian - Enceladus is very faint though so it's only a tiny spark of light at best:

SkyandTelescope.com - Planets - Saturn's Moons Javascript Utility

[koko.pelli]

At that magnification and with the earth rotating, without a tracking mount, does Saturn and her moons [removed word] off out of the field of view quite quickly?

If so is it hard viewing planets in this way?

[LukeSkywatcher]

At that magnification and with the earth rotating, without a tracking mount, does Saturn and her moons [removed word] off out of the field of view quite quickly?

If so is it hard viewing planets in this way?

First time i observed Saturn in my unguided/non-tracking 90EQ scope it raced out of my FOV very quickly. I was fighting to keep it in view.

I then more accurately polar aligned the scope and it was in my FOV for longer. But you are right.....................the higher magnification you use means you have a smaller FOV and it will dissapear quicker.

[pvaz]

At that magnification and with the earth rotating, without a tracking mount, does Saturn and her moons [removed word] off out of the field of view quite quickly?

If so is it hard viewing planets in this way?

I find it easy. I usually pull the planet to the edge of the FoV and let it drift, then adjust again. It's easy once you get the hang of it.

Of couse the wider the FoV the better. My ortho EPs provide great contrast on planets but the 40º FoV forces me to adjust often while the 100º on the Ethos allow a much more relaxed observation.

[yeti monster]

Using my 5mm Hyperion + 2x Barlow (406x) I had Saturn bombing along tonight. DarkAmender was round so he borrowed the Dob for a while to watch Saturn in spectacular form, whilst I had it through his 70mm frac with the 16mm UWAN + 2x Barlow. He's got his scope nigh on perfectly aligned so that I only had to bump the DEC a couple of times over about 20 minutes or more. Also, with the UWANs, you can watch for ages befor the object finally moves out of view, at times I was almost looking across the EP, rather than into it.

It was well worth the wait for the clouds to clear off.

[robhal9000]

Through a 6se with a WO SPL 12.5mm then up to the 7mm Ortho it looked fantastic on Friday night and with the GOTO mount you could go make some tea and it was still bang in the centre of the FOV when you come back. FTW

[koko.pelli]

Thanks peeps

[Dazraz]

I find it easy. I usually pull the planet to the edge of the FoV and let it drift, then adjust again. It's easy once you get the hang of it.

Of couse the wider the FoV the better. My ortho EPs provide great contrast on planets but the 40º FoV forces me to adjust often while the 100º on the Ethos allow a much more relaxed observation.

Yes i totally agree i thought it was going to be hard at first but now i just guide the scope and follow

[LukeSkywatcher]

I also NOW let the planets and even the moon drift across my FOV. It was slightly easier to do with the EQ mount then it is with the Dob mount but i am learning my up/down/left/right with the Dob.

[pvaz]

I also NOW let the planets and even the moon drift across my FOV. It was slightly easier to do with the EQ mount then it is with the Dob mount but i am learning my up/down/left/right with the Dob.

Imagine your grabbing the object (instead of the scope) and pull/push where you want it to go.

i.e.: If the moon is too much too the left, then I want to grab it and push it to the right. It becomes really easy that way.