Can't find Saturn. Help!

[Penguin]

Just watched Wonders of the Universe. Excellent (if a little morbid).

Thought I could find Saturn after having a quick look on Stellarium but the star I am looking at is clearly just a star. Where should Saturn be at 11pm in the UK? What should it look like through a 5" reflector?

I was hoping it would be not much smaller than Jupiter through the eyepiece and easy to find as it would be one of the brighter naked eye objects.

Can someone guide me where to look and what I should be looking for?

--- Penguin

[Slangers]

Through your scope you will easily see the rings and a bit of detail. There are 2 possible explanations for your problem. 1) You are looking at the wrong thing, or 2) Saturn is still too low for you to get a decent view. The first is the more likely.

At 11, Saturn would have been at a reasonable height about 25-30 degrees above the horizon. It would be more or less exactly south east and just above and to the right of a bright star called Spica (which would appear as a star). Saturn will be very slightly brighter than Spica. You may also see a bright red star called Arcturus which will be above and to the left of Saturn.

Good luck.

[BazMark]

It's in the South East. Quite bright yellowish and doesn't twinkle like the other stars.

I've just been out with my scope and had one of the best views of it with my 6mm TS EP. The seeing was so good I managed to get an almost razor sharp view.

Oops I'm a slow typist!!

[Skillganon]

You lucky guys all I have are clouds.

[BazMark]

The clouds rolled in right after my viewing too unfortunately. I'm waiting to see if they'll clear so I can get another try at Saturn tonight.

[tms48]

Viewing at 195x with 5inch reflector through moderate light pollution I could make out Saturns rings quite easily though not as a large image, I cant compare its size against Jupiter as I have not seen it yet.

[Lurker]

Jupiter is about the same size as Saturn. Maybe slightly bigger but not by much.

[Skillganon]

After much fiddling about and trying to point it with the scope finder I managed to see saturn on my Astromaster 130EQ with a 10mm eyepiece. It appears rather tiny and one can easily make out it's glorious ring. I am absolutely delighted as this is my first planetary observation all from the comfort of my house (through a window). I even haven't observed the moon yet.

[Lurker]

After much fiddling about and trying to point it with the scope finder I managed to see saturn on my Astromaster 130EQ with a 10mm eyepiece. It appears rather tiny and one can easily make out it's glorious ring. I am absolutely delighted as this is my first planetary observation all from the comfort of my house (through a window). I even haven't observed the moon yet.

Excellent, I also sighted Saturn last week for the first time.

You can see it a bit bigger with a barlow.

[Doug]

Hi Penguin

Slangers has it spot on, I my self being a late viewer look at Saturn at 02:30 in the South ,just above Spica have you down loaded Stellarium it's free so check it out and let us all know how you get on

Doug

Essex

[kev]

My guess is that your on Spica, you want the object thats a bit further north but roughly the same brightness.

[Penguin]

Yep, before I bought the scope in I thought I would have one more go. I must have been looking at Spica before though I was sure I had aimed it the higher star. First of all I had looked on Stellarium, figured I could find Arcturus from the Plough, then find Spica and Saturn. Went outside and saw what I expected to see with the naked eye. I must have just been very bad at lining up the scope and ended up on Spica instead of Saturn.

Found it now and it looks like a little gem! I think I could see a little banding,

(maybe that storm if it is still there) and some gradation in the rings: the outer part seemed darker/dimmer though I don't think I could make out the Cassini division.

Next task is to get the toucam out and try to take a photo.

--- Penguin

[Slangers]

Great Penguin- glad you found it. I suspected you were looking at Spica or Arcturus.