can someone take a pic of the area around Neptune please

[noeyedeer]

I've been struggling to find Neptune for the past 3 months. I'm not sure if I've seen it .. I don't know what I'm looking for :(

tonight for example .. I used mobile observatory (mo from now on) to get the alt and degrees .. used smart tools and positioned the 10" dob to that position (I like north because I'm famaliar with it's location).

I see the 3 stars and Neptune in the middle .. but ivdont know if I really am seeing this ... I double check the alt of my scope, yes it's right... point it to zenith and smart tools reads 90.. so back down I go and more frustrations.

I've read that Neptune looks blue ... I saw nothing blue .. I used a 40mm plossol, 15, 9, and a 32mm 2" wide angle. I saw no blue :(

judging by the area I was in the right place ... see the pic attached. I hopped to every visable thing in my view finder and tried all those eyepeices ... to no avail.. well nothing I'd say I saw Neptune.

if anyone has recent wideish field pics of Neptune is like to see so I can compare what I was seeing ... I'll attach my pics in a minute when I turn back time in mo.

thanks .. and if there's any tips I'd be grateful.

matt

looked at

[noeyedeer]

I saw this through the finderscope .. but hopping from each star and using various eps, I saw marginally no difference .. no coloration etc.

am I expecting too much ... what should Neptune look like throu a 10" dob, using say a 15mm plossol?
does it look like a regular star .. or are there other things to look for? again I saw no blue in any ep I used.

maybe I'm in the wrong area with my scope. is Neptune really this hard to locate?

Tia
matt

[Camelopardalis]

Neptune is pale blue even in my C8 so you should definitely see the colour in your Dob. It's not bold colour but it is distinct.

One thing to try...try increasing the magnification...with magnification it will look like a fuzzy ball in a way that stars do not.

[Larryp]

Its definitely non-stellar, and presents as a definite bluish disk. You will know it when you see it.:)

[noeyedeer]

thanks dunk, what about through the finder I have a 9x50 .. would it be visable in that at it's current mag around 8.

I know I was looking early .. but I tried until 9pm est..
how much power is needed to distinguish between a star and neptune? I have 6 and 5mm planetaries

[Robh]

Hi Matt,

It is only 2.3 arcseconds in diameter. Not much different to a star.
You may need to ramp the power up to 200x to see a disk.
It will look bluish when you have it.

Here is a clip off SkySafari with stars to mag 9.
At mag 7.9, you should be able to just see it in a 9x50mm finder.

Regards, Rob

[noeyedeer]

I hope so! it's been a frustrating struggle. I've star hopped and everything .. get to Scat and it all becomes a mess. so I decide to use technology, I know I'm close but the frustration might be making me make mistakes ... if it is a blueish disk I certainly havnt seen that .. I'm sure.

thanks
matt

[noeyedeer]

omg you know what, I think I was a little bit too low. I'm sure the stars I saw were the horizontal line south of the line containing Neptune.

I didn't want to move the scope around too much just incase it was the area I should've been near, now I know I was a few degrees too low.

now I hope the rain forecasted stays away so I can double check.
thanks Rob, and everyone else ... it's been a dream to see Neptune

matt

[noeyedeer]

sorry Rob, another question, will it look blueish in the finder or only through the scope at higher power? maybe that's where I've gone wrong ...
thanks

matt

maybe I should find Uranus, and then use that as a visual representative to find neptune?

[Camelopardalis]

Not sure how much colour you'd see in the finder but you should be able to identify the star pattern around it from that.

Uranus is quite a bit brighter and is pale bluey green...same magnification trick applies :)

[astroron]

Matt, Uranus will only look like any other star in your finderscope or in a 40mm eyepiece.
They are fine to find the area you are looking for, but you will need at least 100x mag around a 12mm eyepiece,in a 10" scope to see a disc.
It should look blue to Turquoise.
Sometimes if the seeing is poor, most stars can look like a disc.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[noeyedeer]

thanks dunk!
I just thought I'd try with Neptune because of it's altitude .. and my north is very light polluted with surfers in the way. I'll take all these tips on board. seems I'm the one doing something wrong or not quite in the location I should be, but I'm sure I am.

I'll keep the 6mm in the focuser (291x) or the 9mm (194x)but I hate the eye releif with it))

I didn't know I had to use high power to differentiate between a star and Neptune so I will when o get out next and let yas know.

thanks for the tips and advice

matt

[astroron]

I used to see a disc in my 8" SCT with a 13mm nagler 150xmag
So you should have no problem with a 10".

Cheers:thumbsup:

[noeyedeer]

thanks Ron

I know I'm not looking for Jupiter or Saturn like objects but I thought they maybe been easier to find then what they are in reality.

once I find an object I'm pretty good to find it again, I appreciate everyone's advice, I know now I was using a too low power to differentiate between a star or Neptune ... I think I used the 15mm (116x) mostly. again everyone's help is useful and I thank you

I'd get the scope out again but I have to be up at 5am for work :(

again, thanks matt

[noeyedeer]

that gives me hope :) ...I will nail it sooner or later .. especially with everyone's help

thanks Ron

[Camelopardalis]

You will get it I'm sure, good luck!

[RobF]

Have you seen Tom's pics? Might give you some context what you're looking for - taken with a dob and DSLR if I recall correctly.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=144282

[TheAstroChannel]

Here is my capture of Neptune from a couple of months ago.. I managed to snap it with a 130mm reflector.

http://s981.photobucket.com/user/theastrochannel/media/FirstNeptune12-02-13_zpsb29acc31.png.html?sort=3&o=4

[noeyedeer]

thanks for those. both pics certainly put the size into context. least I know now what i should be looking for. I knew it was small but perhaps not that small! :)

many more nights of happy hunting. I will let yas know how I go next time I'm able to get under the stars

thanks everyone

matt

thanks for the help everyone

[TheAstroChannel]

With your 10", it should be a lot easier to see compared to my 5 inch.

[deanm]

I read somewhere, somewhen, on IIS of a trick to reveal star colours in long-exposure star-trail photography.

Defocussing the image increases the apparent (but now unfocussed) star diameter - this reveals otherwise non-obvious colour.

It also preserves your field of view, which you otherwise lose by increasing ep magnification.

Try it & let us know how you go!

Dean

[noeyedeer]

thanks for the tip Dean! the week doesn't look good with rain and clouds predicted :( but will let you know.

I think I read the same tip while reading Comets and how to observe them. But never thought to apply to on observing the outer planets. (mainly because it was referring to magnitude estimates and defocusing to make a comparable star the same size as the coma etc)

thanks
matt

[erick]

Yep, it works a treat. Don't defocus too far however or they get too faint.