Yes, I have found this effect as well with jupiter in a twilit sky and I suspect it is because the high sky brightness decreases dark adaptation and glare. For your case it could be because it is higher in the sky at dawn or that the telescope was better cooled down. Right now you're observing saturn at the worst possible time so if it's good now it'll only get better! Where I live the seeing generally gets worse throughout the night but I'm down in the bottom of a valley so that could have something to do with it.
How big is the telescope? Whats its F/ratio? What eyepieces did it come with?
Hope your skies stay clearer than mine have been.
Ralph
|