Saturn/Mars

supernova1965 (Warren) · #1 22-12-2009, 06:12 AM

Woke up at 2.30am this morning and decided to have a quick look outside as I have wanted to view Saturn for some time now for the first time and I saw some clear sky for a change. So I lay in bed for about ten min trying to decide whether to go back to sleep or stop being so lazy and get up get the scope and finally see Saturn. Well sleep is for the weak so up I get drag out the scope and EP's chairs tables and whatnot start computer fire up Stellarium find where it is go outside find mars no problems best detail I have yet got yet of the god of war could see the ice cap and dark area's. But I was here to finally see Saturn I knew where it should be from Stellarium but it didn't look obviously like a planet like with Jupiter you can't miss it, so I line up on the star closest to where I knew it should be and there it was

well worth the effort of getting up even if the rings were only just inclined a little somehow it was more exciting that the first view of Jupiter I really got a kick out of it maybe its because its been a while since I have had the scope out too much cloud lately. Well that's all folks I am not the best at describing what I see in words like the great reports I see from everyone here but I hope I have conveyed some of the feeling I got from my first view of Saturn and the first detail I have been able to resolve on mars. Thanks for reading

gaa_ian (Ian) · #2 22-12-2009, 07:18 AM

Good on you Warren .....
I plan on doing the same while I have Xmas with my kids.
Well, at least a look at Mars & Jupiter, Saturn might be a bit late for them.

supernova1965 (Warren) · #3 22-12-2009, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaa_ian

Good on you Warren .....
I plan on doing the same while I have Xmas with my kids.
Well, at least a look at Mars & Jupiter, Saturn might be a bit late for them.

Looking at your location you would have good dark skies

mozzie (Peter) · #4 22-12-2009, 02:54 PM

well done warren saturn is a wonderful sight over the next few years as the rings widen it gets even better i headed in around that time last night it was a shocker with all the cloud and its still cloudy
mozzie

richardda1st (Richard) · #5 22-12-2009, 03:02 PM

Did the same thing myself except I had the scope out from earlier viewing. Nice to see Saturn again. Mars was OK but my views were not as sharp as I would have liked, saw some detail. Maybe to much wine from earlier didn't help. My views to the north east are over a heated indoor pool, so combine that with the plonk, I suppose that's to be expected.

Good fun

areyouabus (Pauly) · #6 01-01-2010, 01:58 PM

I did something similar last night. Got home from a new years party at 1:30, thought, i havent seen Saturn close up and its finally late enough for it to be high enough to see.
So got the scope out, whacked the Denk in and got my first glimpse of Saturn and its rings! Tiny, beautiful in the clear sky lit up by the full moon.
Looked even better when i put the Pentax in.
An awesome way to spend the first couple of hours of the new decade

RobF (Rob) · #7 02-01-2010, 09:00 PM

I find it very hard to get out of bed after 2am and before sunrise, but then some of my strongest/dearest astronomy memories include waking up 2am with the family to see mars and jupiter for the first time (naked eye), getting up to see Mercury (with the 4.5" reflector), comet Lulin - the list goes on. Can relate totally to the thrill of the hunt, and especially if it was your first view of Saturn!

Mind you, its harder to sleep in how with the kids getting up at 5am lately.