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Old 24-07-2009, 07:06 PM
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Blue Skies (Jacquie)
It's about time

Blue Skies is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 1,221
Well, two things that I think need to be mentioned that haven't as far as can see:

1.Yes, Saturn is going to look small in an 8", thats a fact. Even though the planet is comparable in size to Jupiter it is twice as far away! If you super-duper, large, as-big-as-I-can-see-in-all-those-fantastic-images-on-the-web size you need a much bigger aperture, with quality optics that are well collimated plus the atmosphere needs to play fair and hold nice and steady for you. Good eyepieces will certainly help, but they aren't everything.

2. Give yourself time to learn how to see. Seriously. Learn how to see. Its something that takes time and experience. The more you look at the planets the more you will train your eye to pick out the subtle details, so keep looking. I usually reckon it takes a year for people to learn this (maybe more, depends how often you get out.) If you don't believe me, try this. When you observe the planets, Jupiter and Saturn, in the near future, draw a sketch of what you see. Doesn't have to be art gallery quality, just try and get the main features down. Remember to record the date, time and perhaps a few comments on the sky conditions (still, a bit murky, , partly cloudy, seeing moving about wildly! etc) Hang on to those sketches. Next year, try to sketch them again - then compare the old with the new. You might just be surprised how far you have come!
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