Huge Dob for looking at Jupiter Moons/Titan/Uranus/Neptune?

overlord (Charles) · #1 20-04-2011, 10:27 AM

What do you think?

If there is sufficient light there is sufficient detail at high mag right?

overlord (Charles) · #2 20-04-2011, 10:28 AM

In my 1972 Britannica it says that Earth observations seem to reveal that Uranus has three prominent bands, although different observers report different results. So it's not impossible IMHO but i'd like to see what people think of the idea lol. I have seen that some people on the internet have seen sufficient detail to attempt a sketch of the moons of Jupiter, and Percival Lowell who is a hero of mine certainly also made the attempt.

rmcconachy · #3 20-04-2011, 11:02 AM

You will see them but don't expect much, if anything in most cases, in the way of detail. With a large scope and really good conditions you might very occasionally see some shading on the Galilean moons. However, Titan, Uranus and Neptune are pretty much going to be tiny featureless (other than colour) balls at best. Percival Lowell sketched all kinds of stuff, some of it even existed.

overlord (Charles) · #4 20-04-2011, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmcconachy

You will see them but don't expect much, if anything in most cases, in the way of detail. With a large scope and really good conditions you might very occasionally see some shading on the Galilean moons. However, Titan, Uranus and Neptune are pretty much going to be tiny featureless (other than colour) balls at best. Percival Lowell sketched all kinds of stuff, some of it even existed.

Thanks! yeah! LOL. Yeah I guess it's tough to see much. I want to be like Lowell! I saw the Shiaparellian canals=mountain ranges, lava etc, in 2003, (not the Lowellian ones which probably don't exist). But I love that stuff! I love sketching the planets and the distant ones are especially interesting for me cos no-one's got a good enough scope to see what's going on right now! LOL!

toc (Tim) · #5 20-04-2011, 12:36 PM

At very high mag, your biggest issue will be keeping it in the eyepiece for any length of time...

pgc hunter · #6 20-04-2011, 03:24 PM

At high magnification in larger scopes, some observers have reported subtle shading on Uranus, but Neptune would appear as nothing more than a tiny blue ball in amatuer sized scopes.

Ganymede can show some dark features if seeing is excellent and you are using a 10" + scope at very high power. Check Carlos Hernadez's observations on cloudynights - he's sketched Ganymede a number fo times.