Help - Saturn NS?

[erick (Eric)]

I'm admiring the photos being captured of Saturn and am on a mission to see what I can through my 20x bins. I've looked twice soon after Saturn has risen, and can make out the distinction between the rings and the disc - but I doubt conditions have been particularly good. I'll keep looking over the next few months (and just may invest in a set of 30x bins ) as we approach opposition.

But, I'm confused?? As I see Saturn through my bins (within an hour or two of rising) - should the rings be passing above the equator (South pole tilted towards Earth) or vice versa (rings passing below equator and North pole tilted towards Earth)?

By the way, what is the convention for posting photographs - It seems to me I've seen photos with North up and some with North down? Or am I just confused - the photos are taken before and after Saturn reaches the zenith?

Everything is so simple with terrestrial photos - up is up and down is down! Well, usually!!

[Karl]

G'Day mate,
I think you may have discovered that depending on the type of scope used for the pics will be whether up is up or up is down Reflector Vs Refractor

[merlin8r]

Hi Erick,
The easy answer to your question re photographic conventions, there isn't one! Luckily for us, there is no up or down in space. It is common however to present your pictures in a pleasing way. For example, a pic of the Horsehead Nebula presented with the horse "upside down" just doesn't look right (in my humble opinion). Our eyes like to see what they expect to see.

Clear skies,
Shane

[erick (Eric)]

Thanks Karl. I had thought of that (and I know you get mirror image swap as well in some systems?), but was hoping that there was some convention to return the images to the up/down/left/right as seen by eye (or with my binoculars!). I've scratched my head over lunar images, but think I have them sorted out now! Of course, where you are standing on the Earth, the elevation of the object and whether you are watching it rising or setting confuses everything!

Perhaps it's back to knitting again? Perhaps not, I'd rather stand out in the cold and be confused about what is up and what is down!

[erick (Eric)]

Thanks Shane.

OK then, let's ask the simple question since I don't have a scope to look through and confirm - when I look with the naked eye from Melbourne and use my superman-vision as Saturn rises tonight, I expect to see the rings tilted with left side up and right side down (correct?) Then, is the lower pole tilted towards me or away from me (meaning - do the rings cross the disc apparently above or below the line of sight to Saturn's equator)?

Once I know what it should look like, I'll be able to convince myself that I can see it that way

[merlin8r]

Hi Erick,
This is going to get confusing real fast lol. The planets all travel on the same plane (more or less) but the angles of tilt all vary. But I think that the south pole of Saturn would more or less point towards our same south celestial pole. So for example, as Saturn rises, the bit on the right of the rings would be Saturns south pole (?????)
Hope I got that right.

Clear skies,
Shane

[erick (Eric)]

OK, time for me to take a valium and go away and have a careful think about this - I'll work it out! Thanks.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Hi erick,

if you were to look at Saturn tonight with binoculars as it crossed the meridian (line drawn through north/south celestial pole if you don't know ) and you could clearly see the rings it would look like this image from Starry Night. South is at the top (ie pointing towards our south pole).

[erick (Eric)]

Many thanks Paul

Now to use my thinking hat so I understand why.