Uranus

[crowlord]

It was an ad-hoc evening out last night, I Haven't had much time with the scope and weather and shifts are playing against me. The only real target I set myself given the nearly full moon was some planet spotting.

Setup was easy and i made the effort to polar even though i didnt intend to image. It seems a good habit and I need the practice.

Jupiter soon came into view and with plenty of running in and out of the house between scope and stellarium i worked out where Uranus should be. I was pretty sure I had it and higher power revealed a definite disc, quite different from the point of a star. It wasn't particularly coloured for me (though my night vision WAS shot by then) but was almost a very washed out blue.

I then ran to the patio doors. Pointed to me, my eyes, the wife and my backside... She got the message!

Its probably the most overwhelming site of an underwhelming object that I have had so far!

Just to cap the decision to align I then went back to Jupiter and tried some imaging. Guess what I am off to do now?

[callisto]

Exellent, well done

Mark.

[brianb]

You should just about be able to see the two brightest satellites with 8" ... moonlight doesn't hurt planetary satellites much as the glare from the planet increases the amount of light needed to see a faint object near to it. Titania (there's another sniggerful word) and Oberon are both brighter than mag. 14.

[Breakintheclouds]

I rather like the idea of trying to find Uranus's moons - I too was looking at it last night. I've just checked Stellarium and it indeed shows where the moons are. Excellent news. That's the next clear night sorted then.

[jasonp]

I Tried to find it last night but had no luck.. Then again I've only had this scope 5 days after re entering the hobby.

Any tips - I am a total newb I know thats a very very vauge question and there are many answers but any help would be great.

Thanks Guys

[brianb]

Any tips

Not sure what the seeing as like last night where you are. In steady air the difference between Uranus and a star of the same brightness is pretty obvious with a power of x100 or higher - Uranus is "bloated" and hard to focus. In turbulent air like I had last night, all the stars look like that!

Uranus has a distinctive greenish blue (or bluish green) hue. And of course it isn't marked as a star on your star charts even though it's easily bright enough to be seen (as a star) with binoculars, in fact in very transparent conditions & from a dark sky site it can be seen with the naked eye.

[jasonp]

Since.. not had a decent night I so want to find it

Fingers crossed for wednesday

[irishbloke]

I got it tonight and resolved it as a disc. It really helps having jupiter so close to guide you. I have rigged up a leveling platform and had the wixey going well. Just looked up the alt on the pda and bobs my uncle.

[E621Keith]

I saw Uranus tonight through my 6" SCT. I can just barely make out the disk, but not much more. The moon and light fog completely washed out that area of the sky, so I had to rely on goto. However, being able to see it really makes me happy.

[HappySachs]

Installed Stellarium tonight, it's brilliant, I zoomed in on Jupiter and Uranus until the FOV reading at the bottom matched my binoculars FOV. The equitorial plane of the galilean moons pointed directly at star 20 Pisces and Uranus was similar magnitude and positioned just up and left.

Picked up my binoculars, pointed them through the window and got my first ever view of Uranus , ok it was just a point of light but it still counts!

[jasonp]

I finally got it tonight, it is quite foggy and the moon really does not help. But I am glad i got too see it. Will try again when the moons not so bright

[jasonp]

Incase you want too see my rather poor attempt at a photo ( unguidied) its here

uranus | Flickr - Photo Sharing!