Saturn's moons as seen from backyard telescope

[Chris_Tucson]

<font size="2">For the past couple of nights</font>, <font size="2">I've been observing Saturn with a backyard telescope (8 in Celestron SCT) from Tucson, AZ.&nbsp; Very beautiful and very impressive!&nbsp; There are some moons visible, but I don't know which ones they are (the scene changes each night).&nbsp; I am especially interested in Titan.&nbsp; Any suggestions about how to track Titan?&nbsp; What about the other moons?</font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font size="3" color="#0000ff">Christopher</font></strong> </div>

 

[adrenalynn]

<p>Welcome to the forum!</p><p>http://www.shatters.net/celestia/</p><p>Celestia will help you figure out what you saw (presuming you know the exact time) and to plot what's coming up.&nbsp; Free - as in Beer!&nbsp; Woot! </p><p>&nbsp;Getting ready for the "show" on the 24th?</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[Chris_Tucson]

<p><font size="2">Obviously I'm new at this - thanks for the welcome!&nbsp; Celestia is too complicated for me as of yet, I'm still trying to look at planets (my favorite)&nbsp;through a telescope.&nbsp; I was planning to get up early tomorrow (weather permitting)&nbsp;to see Mars, Jupiter, Mercury and the cresent moon (Feb 22nd).&nbsp; I won't need a telescope to see them, but I'll have my&nbsp;binoculars.&nbsp; What's so special about the 24th?</font></p><p><font size="2">P.S.&nbsp; I'm convinced that I saw Titan again&nbsp;tonight along with another moon (Tethys?)&nbsp;about halfway in between (both to the lower right of Saturn well beyond its rings)</font></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font size="3" color="#0000ff">Christopher</font></strong> </div>

 

[nimbus]

If you post the exact time of observation and a rough description of what you saw, I can help you match what you saw with what Celestia displays, and write a walkthru for getting the info you want from Celestia; it's pretty simple. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Chris_Tucson]

<p>OK - it was last night in Tucson, AZ at 9pm (untill about 11pm), I watched Saturn&nbsp;rising up&nbsp;from East to West with what I think were 2 moons.&nbsp; Saturn's rings were tilted&nbsp;from 10 o'clock to&nbsp;4 o'clock with a larger brighter moon (Titan?)&nbsp;about 1 deg&nbsp;to the lower right (4 o'clock)&nbsp;in the same plane as the rings.&nbsp; A smaller dimmer moon was approximately midway in between.&nbsp; Rhea or Tethys?</p><p>When I tried to download Celestia, it crashed my laptop.&nbsp; I've recovered, and it may be that I need to be "walked through" until I get the hang of it.&nbsp; Thanks!</p><p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>If you post the exact time of observation and a rough description of what you saw, I can help you match what you saw with what Celestia displays, and write a walkthru for getting the info you want from Celestia; it's pretty simple. <br />Posted by nimbus</DIV><br /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font size="3" color="#0000ff">Christopher</font></strong> </div>

 

[adrenalynn]

<p>Here's Saturn on Sept 21, 2009 @ 21:15 from Tucson, AZ.</p><p>http://www.jlrdesigns.com/saturn-tucson-feb2109.png</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>From your description, they were Titan and Rhea</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[nimbus]

<p>Hey Chris,&nbsp;</p><p>I'll have time to write this up for you by tonight.&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Chris_Tucson]

<p>Adrenalynn - that's the picture I saw!&nbsp; The telescope reverses the angle because I had them going 10 o'clock --> 4 o'clock when they were really going more like 1 o'clock --> 7 o'clock.&nbsp; But that's them alright.&nbsp; Very exciting!</p><p>Nimbus, I will wait patiently for your post.</p><p>Tonight, the comet should be passing closely to Saturn ...</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font size="3" color="#0000ff">Christopher</font></strong> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Adrenalynn - that's the picture I saw!&nbsp; The telescope reverses the angle because I had them going 10 o'clock --> 4 o'clock when they were really going more like 1 o'clock --> 7 o'clock.&nbsp; But that's them alright.&nbsp; Very exciting!Nimbus, I will wait patiently for your post.Tonight, the comet should be passing closely to Saturn ... <br />Posted by Chris_Tucson</DIV><br /><br />See the comet Lulin thread. It was closest to Saturn in the sky this morning, and closest to the earth right about now <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[adrenalynn]

<p>Yup - your optics do mirror it, but good!&nbsp; Now you know! </p><p>If the weather holds (fingers crossed) we should have a once-in-many-lifetimes spectacle tonight of multiple moons transiting the face.&nbsp; I need to simulate it to figure out my best opportunity to try to shoot it.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[adrenalynn]

<p>Never mind.&nbsp; Missed it.&nbsp; It was this morning.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It looks like a bunch of moons will line up perfectly with the ring-plane - just after sunrise tomorrow morning. [sigh]</p><p>Might be able to get close juuust before sunrise, though.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[Testing]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Never mind.&nbsp; Missed it.&nbsp; It was this morning.&nbsp;It looks like a bunch of moons will line up perfectly with the ring-plane - just after sunrise tomorrow morning. [sigh]Might be able to get close juuust before sunrise, though. <br />Posted by adrenalynn</DIV><br /><br />IF ANYONE HERE IS GOING TO CATCH IT, YOU WILL. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Yup - your optics do mirror it, but good!&nbsp; Now you know! If the weather holds (fingers crossed) we should have a once-in-many-lifetimes spectacle tonight of multiple moons transiting the face.&nbsp; I need to simulate it to figure out my best opportunity to try to shoot it. <br />Posted by adrenalynn</DIV><br /><br />It was this morning...</p><p>Edit{ oops, I see you realized that }</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[adrenalynn]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>IF ANYONE HERE IS GOING TO CATCH IT, YOU WILL. <br />Posted by Testing</DIV><br /><br />Thanks for the vote of confidence!&nbsp; But we're socked-in again tonight - of course. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[tfwthom]

<p>BTW Chris</p><p>The Tucson club is the largest single astronomy club here in Arizona (there are 5 clubs in the Phoenix area) I think they have over 300 members. You might want to think about joining them for a meeting.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association&nbsp; http://www.tucsonastronomy.org/</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1" color="#3366ff">www.siriuslookers.org</font> </div>

 

[Chris_Tucson]

Just got back to Tucson from a really cloudy place back east. Looking at Saturn again (Feb 28, 9pm), I see the moons of Titan and Rhea have spun around to the other side of Saturn! Very cool !!! Lulin is troublesome - should be somewhere near Leo's lower chest (Regulus), but I can't make it out. Could it be that Regulus is too bright?

Tucson Amatuer Astronomy Assoc. meets next Friday at the U of A. I'll check it out - thanks!

 

[MeteorWayne]

Lulin is troublesome - should be somewhere near Leo's lower chest (Regulus), but I can't make it out. Could it be that Regulus is too bright?

It's more that Lulin is too dim, I think. It's been cloudy for a while so I haven't seen it since the 24th; it was not easy to find in a binocular sweep.

 

[Chris_Tucson]

Lulin is too dim at a magnitude of 6.2 ? Although I missed Titan transiting Saturn to the other side (morning of Feb 24), I saw it perfectly well with the telescope last night (Feb 28) and it's magnitude is 8.6 (and Rhea is 9.9, no problem either). Remember I am a strict amateur ...

Next, I intend to monitor the eclipse of Titan - but I'm short on details.

 

[adrenalynn]

Remember that a comet's brightness is expressed as if you took the entire light from the comet and compressed it to a point-source like a star.

That said - if you can make out Mag 8 you can make out Lulin. I'd say the tail becomes visible if you can distinguish Mag 10 or so. Color becomes apparent a little later than that.

In a reasonably dark sky my Nexstar 5i with Orion glass can distinguish some color out of the corner of my eye. Some tail + anti-tail is visible.

 

[Chris_Tucson]

Back to Saturn's moons. I'm looking simultaneously at Saturn and its moons with my telescope and now finally using celestia (realtime) on my laptop. But they are not the same images for the moons. Even accounting for the mirror effect, I'm not sure if the "little spaceship" is positioned correctly. Or am I really that blind?

P.S. pretty sure I saw Lulin last night with binoculars - a little to the right of regulus ... fuzzy thing.

 

[adrenalynn]

I hate to say this, since you went to all that trouble to get it working - stellarium.org might be the better software for you. I always confuse the two - my bad.