First early morning Jupiter

[telecasterguru (Frank)]

Hi all,

For the first time ever I got up at 4 this morning determined to have a look at Jupiter with my 250mm Dob. The weather has been so dreadful I haven't bothered before and I don't do 4am very well when I have to go to work.

Washed my face and put my contact lenses in and went out onto the balcony to see what I could see.

Theres Jupiter, hooray, and it is racing behind the 15 story block of flats opposite my balcony. Oh no better hurry.

Run around in the dark trying to find stuff and eventually get the base out and put the dob on it.

Go to my EP case and grab a 2x and a 9mm and shove them in. Line up Jupes in the finder and look into the EP.

Is that it, a rather fuzzy blob, I use the fine control to focus and without realising go past focus.

I can't believe how big it is in the EP when it finally comes into focus. Wow.

Horizontal banding from side to side and 3 moons off to the right and one more in the upper left. I suppose this is back the front. Where's the red spot? Jupiters gone.

Viewing time, 2 minutes before it disappears into the penthouse. What a wonderful 2 minutes and now I feel great.

Frank

[rider]

"No officer, I wasn't looking in the penthouse windows, I was looking at a little orange ball. No I REALLY was looking at the ball, Really."

[pgc hunter]

^^ lol!

Nice report! Reminds me of the time when I was a kid when got my first scope....a 60mm Tasco, I was so excited I got up at 3am and lifted the thing onto the kitchen table in order to see Jupiter looming just above the neighbours roof!

The red spot is not always visible, it was probably on the otherside of the planet when you were viewing.