Dave Mitsky
31-December-2003, 11:27 AM
Saturn reaches opposition today at 21:00 UT. In light of this fact I spent a good long time observing Saturn this morning using the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain at the Naylor Observatory, which is located near Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.
The seeing was very good, good enough that the Encke Minima was visible. At times the Encke Division seemed to be resolved as well. The C Ring was easy, of course. The southern hemisphere of the planet was covered with distinct bands and the polar cap was quite well defined and rather dark.
Titan had a readily discernible ruddy color. I also viewed Tethys, Dione, Enceladus, Rhea, and, I think, Hyperion. I could not make out Mimas.
Magnifications used ranged from 162 to 404x with 231, 249, 259 and 324x working very satisfactorily.
I also caught Jupiter's GRS a bit before it transited the CM. It appeared to be somewhat more colorful than it has for some time, a distinctly pink color.
The only extended deep-sky object that met my gaze was M42 and it looked very good indeed at 162x with and without an Orion UltraBlock filter. Six stars were visible within the Trapezium as well as a number of faint stars that are not normally seen within the nebulosity.
I had a look at a few multiple stars in Auriga before closing down. The best were 41 Aurigae, Otto Struve 147 (a very attractive triple star with a yellow primary and twin blue secondaries), and the charming Struve 928. The carbon star UU Aurigae shone a bright orange-red.
Dave Mitsky
The seeing was very good, good enough that the Encke Minima was visible. At times the Encke Division seemed to be resolved as well. The C Ring was easy, of course. The southern hemisphere of the planet was covered with distinct bands and the polar cap was quite well defined and rather dark.
Titan had a readily discernible ruddy color. I also viewed Tethys, Dione, Enceladus, Rhea, and, I think, Hyperion. I could not make out Mimas.
Magnifications used ranged from 162 to 404x with 231, 249, 259 and 324x working very satisfactorily.
I also caught Jupiter's GRS a bit before it transited the CM. It appeared to be somewhat more colorful than it has for some time, a distinctly pink color.
The only extended deep-sky object that met my gaze was M42 and it looked very good indeed at 162x with and without an Orion UltraBlock filter. Six stars were visible within the Trapezium as well as a number of faint stars that are not normally seen within the nebulosity.
I had a look at a few multiple stars in Auriga before closing down. The best were 41 Aurigae, Otto Struve 147 (a very attractive triple star with a yellow primary and twin blue secondaries), and the charming Struve 928. The carbon star UU Aurigae shone a bright orange-red.
Dave Mitsky