Rings Again

by Chuck May 9, 2013

Astronomy Observation Record

 

Date: 5-8-2013 Time: 9:00 p.m. Location: Brambly Hill
Instrument: Northstar Aperture: 76mm Focal length: 700mm
Eyepiece/Magnification: 32/22 13/54 8/88 6/
Transparency: 5 Seeing: 5
Conditions: Nice night. Damp -- lots of condensation.

 

Object Notes

Arcturus

Just to get the scope aligned.

Saturn

Upped the magnification -- used 8mm eyepiece.

At 13mm I could see four moons, two with averted vision.

Used 8mm eyepiece finally. Hard to hold Saturn in field of view for very long. However, certainly worth the trouble. Five moons are visible, four stead and the fifth with averted vision. The rings show a definite gap between the inner and outer rings and faint bands can be seen on the planet, one above and one below the equator.

The 13mm and 8mm make it appear that I'm seeing the south pole of Saturn and looking up at her rings.

Tried using the #12 yellow filter. The division between rings might have been crisper, but I'm not sure.

While using the 13mm a satellite moved rapidly through the field of view, West to East.

Satellites

10:17 -- Saw two moving almost in parallel, side by side. First saw by Cor Caroli. As they passed through Draco's tail a third appeared between Alkaid and Cor Caroli. The third must have been in a lower orbit; it was catching up to the other two and faded first.

Satellites

10:27 -- Another swooshed through Hercules

Polaris

Extremely faint companion directly above in eyepiece. 13mm to split.

 

 

 

Tags:

Backyard Astronomy

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