Go Back   IceInSpace > Beginners Start Here > Beginners Talk

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
  #1  
Old 25-07-2005, 08:55 PM
cahullian's Avatar
cahullian
Hapkido = Pain

cahullian is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Newcastle NSW
Posts: 1,014
Looking for Neptune and Uranus

I know they are out there but I'll be buggered if I can find them.
Will they look like stars or little blobs in my 8"Dob using a 9mm ep?
I have no idea so any hints or tips would be a great help.
I might have even spotted them but didn't recognise what I was seeing.
Thanks Gazz/Irish
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 25-07-2005, 09:55 PM
astroron's Avatar
astroron (Ron)
Supernova Searcher

astroron is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Cambroon Queensland Australia
Posts: 9,313
If the seeing is poor any bluish star can look like Uranus, but if the seeing is even average you should see a a disc rarther than a bright star , in a dark sky you can see it with the naked eye, at about mag 5.7 it can be seen in 7X50 Bino's,get a chart out of Astronomy 2005 or The Sky or other programs, its quite easy in an eight inch, on the other hand Neptune is of a simular colour but much smaller and fainter and you will need a chart to find it, it to shows a disc and is not starlike. good hunting astroron
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 25-07-2005, 09:56 PM
Greg Bryant
AS&T Editor

Greg Bryant is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sydney
Posts: 351
Gazz,

I can point you to this concise (American) guide.
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing...cle_1221_1.asp

In brief, Uranus is clearly a blob. Neptune distinguishes itself more easily under high magnification.

At brighter than 6th magnitude, Uranus is an obvious target for trying to sight with the naked-eye under dark skies. Neptune, at magnitude 7.8, ranks as a major challenge. Some observers are trying, but I've seen no successful reports yet.

Regards,
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 26-07-2005, 05:33 AM
iceman's Avatar
iceman (Mike)
Sir Post a Lot!

iceman is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia
Posts: 36,760
I haven't seen them yet either, but i'm planning to have a go this month.. but i'm going to use my DSC's, just need to make sure they're properly aligned first
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 26-07-2005, 07:12 AM
rmcpb's Avatar
rmcpb (Rob)
Compulsive Tinkerer

rmcpb is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Blue Mountains, NSW
Posts: 1,766
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman
I haven't seen them yet either, but i'm planning to have a go this month.. but i'm going to use my DSC's, just need to make sure they're properly aligned first
What!! And take all the sport out of it
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 26-07-2005, 07:50 AM
stringscope (Ian)
Registered User

stringscope is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Canberra
Posts: 419
Gazz,

In the past I have seen both in my 8" F6 Dob. I seem to remember at medium magnification (100-150ish) Uranus is clearly a small blue/grey disc. Your 9mm should give you 135X. I seem to recall Neptune needing at least 150X (the more the better) and is very small! I remember grey/blue.

Happy hunting,
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 26-07-2005, 02:45 PM
cahullian's Avatar
cahullian
Hapkido = Pain

cahullian is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Newcastle NSW
Posts: 1,014
Thanks for the help ppl
I have been using sky view cafe for assistance. With my new found knowledge I will be determined to hunt the offending planets down.

Gazz
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 26-07-2005, 03:01 PM
cahullian's Avatar
cahullian
Hapkido = Pain

cahullian is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Newcastle NSW
Posts: 1,014
I know pluto is also out there but I will leave that one alone for a while yet : )
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 26-07-2005, 03:17 PM
ving's Avatar
ving (David)
~Dust bunny breeder~

ving is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: The town of campbells
Posts: 12,359
seen both in my 8". they are pretty tricky to hunt down. g/luck mr!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 26-07-2005, 03:25 PM
atalas's Avatar
atalas
Registered User

atalas is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 5,136
Hi dudes ,yes Ive seen both in a C8 before they are tricky to find but with 100x or so I could clearly make out disks .Keep chasing them Gazz and you will find them in your 8".
Next meet will hunt them down Gazz,as for Pluto ! at about 14mag you won't see It in an 8" I don't think.

Louie
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 26-07-2005, 09:44 PM
asimov's Avatar
asimov (John)
Planet photographer

asimov is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Bundaberg
Posts: 8,819
Hi Gazz. I found them both about 2 weeks ago, but not in one night. Fringe dweller (Kearn) posted a couple of charts here for me, which helped narrow the search down. But I ended up pin pointing them using my 'celestia' program. I found Neptune quicker to find than Uranus...only because I kept going out with the chart and basically learning the positions of the stars in the constellation that neptune was in until I was certain I knew the position of it. After dragging out the scope, I think it took all of 3 minute's to home in on it. I used my 6" achro refractor. At about 300X I certainly could distinguish it as a very small disc. Have a look here:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ead.php?t=2812 It may help you in your search.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 26-07-2005, 11:16 PM
astroron's Avatar
astroron (Ron)
Supernova Searcher

astroron is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Cambroon Queensland Australia
Posts: 9,313
Hi Gazz I observed both Planets about an hour and a half ago seeing was very good and both planets very crisp, but then I was using a 16" scope and a 13mm nagler.
the both objects are able to be easely observed in an 8"scope, use low power to find the field then when you think you have the planet use as much power as you can, they both show a conspicuas disc, but Neptune is much smaller..
Pluto is at 13.8 mag, your scope will go down to mag 14.5, but you will need a good upto date chart. Good hunting. astroron
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 27-07-2005, 12:53 AM
asimov's Avatar
asimov (John)
Planet photographer

asimov is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Bundaberg
Posts: 8,819
Your a lucky devil to get to see them in a 16" scope! Can you see any detail on Uranus with such a scope astroron?
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 27-07-2005, 07:07 PM
cahullian's Avatar
cahullian
Hapkido = Pain

cahullian is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Newcastle NSW
Posts: 1,014
Still couldn't find them last night but I will keep on trying.
I know where they are supposed to be but I still cant make them out. I have a 9mm with my Orion shorty plus x 2 barlow but still nothing like a disc as of yet.
I am a stubborn SOB so I will keep at it.

Thanks again for the help ppl

Gazz/Irish
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 27-07-2005, 07:27 PM
asimov's Avatar
asimov (John)
Planet photographer

asimov is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Bundaberg
Posts: 8,819
It sounds like your at where I was....your looking, or seeing them, but not realizing your actually seeing them because you've not seem them before! lol. As you said in your first post?
Good luck....you'll eventually spot the little beggers!
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 27-07-2005, 08:14 PM
cahullian's Avatar
cahullian
Hapkido = Pain

cahullian is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Newcastle NSW
Posts: 1,014
If I dont find them soon Louie and the others at the central coast viewing Aug 6 th will help me out.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 27-07-2005, 09:46 PM
astroron's Avatar
astroron (Ron)
Supernova Searcher

astroron is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Cambroon Queensland Australia
Posts: 9,313
Thumbs up

Gazza, once you have seen them you won't forget what they look like and you will be able to point them out to others who are trying to find them for the first time.
Asamov (John) I have never tried to see detail in uranus, and Neptune is two small even in a 16", but I have seen two of the moons of uranus a couple of years ago, with the help of a proffessional astronomer who works on the Hubble Space Telescope and takes a lot of those great pictures of uranus and neptune you see in the magazines, I was then able to find them myself quite easely.
I have just come in from observing a 13.2 mag Asteroid called (508) Princetonia, Which next week will occult a 7.1 mag star in Scorpius, I hope to be able to observe it next wednesday at the Queensland Astrofest. Regards astroron
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 28-07-2005, 09:10 AM
cahullian's Avatar
cahullian
Hapkido = Pain

cahullian is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Newcastle NSW
Posts: 1,014
Thanks Astroron
I know what you mean. I can now quickly find lots of things in a few mins that used to take me ages to track down. I am stilla novice at this game and it will take a while to get the hang of things. I might be bitting off more than I can chew but I am still enjoyingthe hunt and when push comes to shove I can always look at the things I know I can find e.g hamburger galaxy. 47 tuc . omega cent. and so on.
Clear skies
Gazz
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 28-07-2005, 01:09 PM
asimov's Avatar
asimov (John)
Planet photographer

asimov is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Bundaberg
Posts: 8,819
Keep taking your charts outside & comparing them to the sky mate! You'll find them eventually. My next project is finding Pluto. Eek! (If this weather ever clears up!?)

Thanks Astroron.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 29-07-2005, 07:05 AM
rmcpb's Avatar
rmcpb (Rob)
Compulsive Tinkerer

rmcpb is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Blue Mountains, NSW
Posts: 1,766
Spent a cold hour last night looking for Neptune with no luck. Probably saw it heaps of times when scanning but did not recognise it. Maybe I'll have to use the setting circles and take some of the sport out of it.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +10. The time is now 08:42 AM.

Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.7 | Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Advertisement
Testar
Advertisement
Bintel
Advertisement