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Encke’s division
I find that when the conditions are VERY, VERY good Encke’s division can seen quite well in my 12inch LX200 if you are an experienced observer, but occasionally even 1st timers can see it.
Last Month i had a few people around for an astro night a few young children and adults all were 1st time viewer's through a telescope.
Viewing was of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Omega Centauri, Jewel Box, 47 Tucana, Swan Nebula, Triffid Nebula, Lagoon Nebula, Centaurus A Galaxy .........and many more open clusters and stars
With Saturn near the zenith and VERY STILL CLEAR conditions Cassini’s division was large and obvious i could also see Encke’s division in the rings at both 234x and 358x magnification using a 2x Powermate and 26mm Nagler and 17mm Ethos eyepiece.
I asked the first adult to look through the scope to describe in detail what he was seeing, he said.........
WOW its Saturn, i can see its rings and a big gap running around the middle of the rings, the rings have different bands of shading and the planet has bands of white, very faded brownish yellow and grey, there is a round grey area at the pole and i can see the rings going behind the top of the pole and a shadow on the rings from the planet.
I said Very good and explained about what he was seeing, then i said can you see anything between the big black gap in the rings and the outer edge of the rings like a "colour or shading or something" ( not mentioning anything about Encke’s division as i was throwing a curve ball to see if he could accually see it)
A few minutes of viewing he said OH... there is another very thin gap in the rings its very hard to see but its there
So on that night with 4 children and 3 adult first time viewers.... Encke’s division TICK for 2 children and 2 adults
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