Uranus through the scope...

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vgeric

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Hey guys,

I went out with my 8" Orion Intelliscope the other night and I think I found Uranus, though I'm not exactly sure.

When I looked into the eyepiece it was extremely small (but, blue-greenish) and looked like a star. I thought I could at least see a disc shape, though I'm not sure about that either.

My real question is, is this as good as it gets for Uranus (or Neptune), and also what size telescope would be needed to see it is indeed a planet?

Thanks all!

Eric
 
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MeteorWayne

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That's about right. It might be barely disk like in that size scope. Basically, the pale blue green color is one clue, the other is an accurate map of it's position in relation to that surrounding star field. The other thing is if you can look for a few nights in a row and note the change in position (although very small) relative to the star field.

It's certainly not going to jump out at you and scream "I'm a Planet!" :)

Neptune is even harder, because th color is paler, it's dimmer, and the motion among the stars is even slower. And too small to see a disk except in larger scopes.
 
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vgeric

Guest
MeteorWayne":26f07s6z said:
That's about right. It might be barely disk like in that size scope. Basically, the pale blue green color is one clue, the other is an accurate map of it's position in relation to that surrounding star field. The other thing is if you can look for a few nights in a row and note the change in position (although very small) relative to the star field.

It's certainly not going to jump out at you and scream "I'm a Planet!" :)

Neptune is even harder, because th color is paler, it's dimmer, and the motion among the stars is even slower. And too small to see a disk except in larger scopes.

Thanks for the information! I was a little underwhelmed by seeing it (I have to admit, I cheated by using the object locator...) but I'm glad that I actually saw it.

What size scope could see it more clearly?
 
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crazyeddie

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vgeric":1a9wmzdp said:
What size scope could see it more clearly?

Well, you have an 8" scope. Almost anything with a bigger aperture will get you a better view. It is perhaps the most visually featureless planet, so it will never appear more detailed than a tiny, pale, green disk. I think just seeing it is the most interesting thing about it.
 
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MeteorWayne

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Well, you should see a disk in a 36" if the sky is steady enough :)

Seriously, it depends on ths sky conditions. I have yet to see Uranus through our 26" at the NJAA, and I hate to speculate until I see it with my own eyes. In my 10" Orion dob, it's pretty much as you described. A hint of diskness as opposed to a pointlike star. It's really the color and the position that allows a firm ID.
 
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nailpounder

Guest
That blue/green dot is about as good as it gets, and congratulations!! Last year was the first time I caught Uranus.
I have a 10" reflector. Currently I'm on the hunt for Neptune. Just need the weather to cooperate! You would need the Hubble, or at least Keck to get a decent PHOTO of Neptune. Keep looking, and good luck!.....................Al
 
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wildwell

Guest
Yeah, that's as good as it gets until you can access very specialized, professional equipment. I feel like finding it and be able to identify it is rewarding though.
 
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MeteorWayne

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That's the way I felt, too. :)
Another checkmark off the life list ;)
 
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