At last - Saturn!

[Altair40]

I woke up early today, peeked through the window and thought 'am I crazy enough to go out there and try to find Saturn?'.

Yes, I was!

For a newbie, I found it easy to find given Venus as a guide. Took bino's out and found something orange then dragged out the skywatcher.

Definately Saturn - I could see the gap between the rings and the planet with my stock 20mm ep and even managed to find it again with the 10mm. Must be getting better! I see what you mean about no chromatic aberration with a newt - the planet appeared white. Maybe one band and this through a 130mm?!

Could do with a 5 inch refractor :-)

Venus was nice, too. Then had a look at the moon because it was getting light.

Have to do this more often before work

I've been wanting to observe Saturn since I was ten years old!

Uranus is out there somewhere...

[Mikea]

Well done (for getting up early!!) It's quite a sight isn't it?!

[brantuk]

It's a superb sight - congrats

[george7378]

I first observed it this year with a 130mm Sky-Watcher aswell - I spent ages looking at the details between the rings and the planet. I really can't wait to get a view with the 10" at 240X!

[Nexus 6]

Nice one Altair,

Observing Saturn for the first time! Brill!

Alan

[Altair40]

My next attempt is to try to find Uranus because I think it's in the same area. Probably just see a star like object but if I was sure and could resovle even the tiniest disc, I'd be extatic!

Got to get up at stupid o'clock to take my lady wife to work tomorrow so if it's clear I'll have a go. Saturn again would be enough...

Thanks for the encouragement...

Have asked for some solar film for christmas. Just storing ammo for when I try to get a large ish refractor.

And a radio reciever, but I would prefer to construct my own. I enjoy that sort of thing. If I could find the sun with radio, I'd go crackers! Some normally sane person going bonkers over a few volts. Sounds sad, but isn't!

[Taff]

Hi' Weldone with your find on saturn.You will never forget the first time you found the planet.Mark

[Altair40]

Got up at 4:30am (that IS stupid o'clock) but no clear sky. Ho hum - practice for the next time. Some cloud but more just bad vis due to a slight fog. Anyway got the truck fired up and the wife to work on time.

Time to dowload that planetarium software for targets...

:-)

[Altair40]

Thanks, Taff. No I don't think I wil. It's been in the back of my mind for 30yrs! Quite small but definately there.

I'm after a bigish refractor now (well realistically at some point - it'll take me a year to get the most of of the 130mm newt) so I can see some colour. I assume that's correct?

As this is the discussion bit - what would any of you recommend for a decent planetary scope of any sort just to look at planets?

I'm not into imaging yet - just a really good view.

[Neilius]

I'm envious! If I can drag myself out of bed one morning soon...!

[lukebl]

My next attempt is to try to find Uranus because I think it's in the same area.

Well done for seeing Saturn. I'm so lazy I haven't even attempted it this season! Actually, Uranus is around at the moment, but near Jupiter, not Saturn. Very easy in the evening sky, but it's starting to slip into the west and where I am it sets around midnight.

Try downloading Carte du Ciel or Stellarium . They're the best all-round free sky programs.

[Altair40]

Hi there, I'd honestly thought it was near Saturn. Just downloaded Stellarium and it nearly blew my socks off!!!

If you don't have it - get it!

Uranus seems to very very close to Jupiter only one little star of similar magnitude in the way. But it's going to move relative to the background stars. Have to fiddle with Stellarium.

If it's anywhere near clear tonight I'm going fot it. I may only be able to see a star but if I know it's Uranus, that'll be enough. If I can resolve any sort of disc compared to that close star I'm going to be jumping around the back garden so much I'll probably fall in the pond!

[Altair40]

These bright guiding planets are most fortuitous! Venus for Saturn and now Jupiter for Uranus.

That probably doesn't happen very often.

!

[Altair40]

Hmm, according to Steallarium (tweaked for my position) Mercury and Mars are paired up. It's too light, they are too low and I don't have a good view in that direction (And I'm not going anywhere near the sun). Baader film from FLO is hopefully being orderd, however. Cake tins, anyone?! I have Duck tape... lol

Might get a chance to go after Uranus later if lucky. If not - patience - I know where that planet is now. So thanks!

[Altair40]

Yahoo! Found Uranus thanks to help from here and Stellarium.

Boing boing splash etc...

The seeing was not that good with freezing fog starting to arrive just after the sun set. It was a case of starting on Jupiter and using a 20mm ep, using the Jovian moon Callisto to point me in the right direction, find a faint star then a pair. The one off 45 deg of the pair was Uranus.

I think!

This using Stellarium.

I could not be certain that I'd resolved a planetary disc. But it's good enough for me just now!

I had to use the 20mm eye peice (ep) in foucus on Jupiter, look to where the planet was then get Jupiter in the 10 mm , lose it. Go back and get the 20mm ep back in but out of focus, find Uranus and very carefully swap back to the 10mm ep. Bingo!

I'll try again, but I'm pretty sure that was it, by Jove!

[Nexus 6]

Hi Altair,

nice to see you have put Uranus on your list, now is a good time to view it, as its so close to Jupiter. Stellarium is really handy, at least if you can't get out it gives a current view of whats around from your location.

Alan

[Altair40]

Got up early again and found Saturn again! I used my bins to find it near Venus (it's getting further away now) - the colour is a give away. Then put the scope on it.

Looks like we'll lose it in the dawn before too long...

Four planets in 12hrs. I must be a nut!

[dmahon]

I'll wait until next year, when Saturn will be visible at night rather than in the morning.

[lukebl]

...Looks like we'll lose it in the dawn before too long...

Quite the reverse, in fact. Saturn is moving away from the sun and rising earlier and earlier each night, so becoming easier to see and in a darker sky.

[RichardJBartlett]

Methinks Altair has the bug...

Congrats on your finds. I can remember seeing Uranus for the first time too... never appears as anything more than a pale blue/green dot, but it's the thrill of knowing what you're looking at, right?

A whole new world!

[Altair40]

Thanks, it's great to know that Saturn will stick around for a while. I can't get tired of looking at it.

Was messing about with the planetarium software and found the horsehead nebula - didn't know it was that close to Orions belt. Didn't know where it was at all but recognised it instantly. That may be my next target even if unsuccessful. Worth a try!

[RichardJBartlett]

Don't wanna be a downer, but I believe it's extremely rare to see the Horsehead visually. It usually shows up only in photos or with a good filter under very dark skies. Part of the problem is that the light from Alnitak (the star closest to the Horsehead) outshines the nebula, making it hard to see.

[Altair40]

Not a problem - there's the great orion neb close by. I'll just have a mooch around there.

M13, a globular cluster might be nice too when I figure out where it is and if it's visible by plugging it into stellarium.

Loads of targets, still!

[RichardJBartlett]

The Orion Neb is definitely worth a look-see; it will blow you away.

Likewise, M13 will too but it's probably too late in the year for it. I'm thinking you might be able to catch it if you get up super-early in the morning. 'Course, I'm going from memory so I could be wrong LOL

You can stare at both of these objects and you'll find yourself seeing more and more the longer you look. You'll also see something new and different every time. Look out for tints of green in the Orion Neb and the chains of stars in M13

[mrwhippy14]

Hey guys.

I have looked at the sky report - it states its visable from 2am up until 7am.

I am a noobie and have only looked at the moon / juptier. Im still learning the constallations etc.

But how easy is this to find , is it as bright as Jupiter and as easy to find as the planet?

Also what do you guys feel would be the best time to be out to look at the planet thanks.