The Faint Rings of Saturn

[Tropo-Bob (Bob)]

I looked this morning and barely saw the edge-on rings using 80x with a 6" SCT. The sky was dark.

I had looked on previous occasions and did not see the rings. However, dawn was breaking on those observations.

Has anybody else been watching this?

[pgc hunter]

Saw them quite easily at 144x with my 130mm newtonian. Saw the thin black shadow across the planet too.

Crank that magnification up, 80x ain't doing you any favours on Saturn...

[Tropo-Bob (Bob)]

Originally Posted by pgc hunter

Saw them quite easily at 144x with my 130mm newtonian. Saw the thin black shadow across the planet too.

Crank that magnification up, 80x ain't doing you any favours on Saturn...

Good point. I will try again.

I did notice however, that the rings appear thinner now than when Saturn was in the evening sky.

[EpickCrom (Joe)]

Interesting topic Tropo Bob.

I've been confined to night shift the past few months at work so haven't been able to get up early enough to observe Saturn. I'll be back on early starts in two weeks so I'll haul out my 10 inch to observe Saturn. Sounds like a nice view!

[Tropo-Bob (Bob)]

In my book, those rings are still faint. This morning, I used a 100mm Tak at 105x. That said, the seeing was substandard, even though the sky was clear.

Regarding the ring shadow, I took this to be the rings silhouetted in front of Saturn. However, the more I think about it, I may be wrong and it may indeed be a shadow of the rings.

[Tulloch (Andrew)]

They are the rings, not the shadow. Saturn is basically edge-on to the Sun, but angled at about 2.5 degrees to Earth, so what you are seeing is the darker rings in front of the planet, as there it basically no shadow to speak of.

I've been imaging Saturn since April 12, here are some of my latest images. https://www.cloudynights.com/gallery...-solar-system/

Andrew

[Tropo-Bob (Bob)]

Thanks Andrew.

I hear that the rings will be closing again soon. Do U have any info re this?

[Tulloch (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by Tropo-Bob

Thanks Andrew.

I hear that the rings will be closing again soon. Do U have any info re this?

Hi Bob, yes, they will be closing up again. You can read more about it here.
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/9...angle-in-2025/

Andrew