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Old 15-05-2014, 09:55 AM
julianh72 (Julian)
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Kelvin Grove
Posts: 1,300
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryz View Post
Hope Im on the right path here.

With use of the Google Sky app, with the 8" Dob had it pointed at what im sure was Jupiter. Is this clearly visible to the naked eye this time of year?

With a 10mm eyepiece, appeared to be a white disc with two very vague white vertical bands around it....was this Jupiter?....
Yes, you've found Jupiter! Jupiter is one of the brightest objects in the night sky, currently sitting in the north-west in early evening.

With an 8" Dob you should be able to see a lot more detail than just a white disk with vague bands around it - check focus carefully, and you should see some texture and detail in the bands, the Great Red Spot (when it's facing Earthwards), the 4 Galilean moons nearby, etc. (But you might need to wait for clearer skies - poor viewing conditions will also limit the amount of detail you can pick out.)

Your next planetary target should be Saturn (in the eastern sky in the early evening) - not as bright as Jupiter, but still one of the brightest objects in that part of the sky. It will be sitting a bit higher than the Moon tonight, after last night's occultation.
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