Actual Astronomy - An Observing Guide to Jupiter & Saturn

The 365 Days of Astronomy

Hosted by Chris Beckett & Shane Ludtke, two amateur astronomers in Saskatchewan. [e-mail]

Episode # 357.

An observing Guide to Saturn:

* Currently Located in Aquarius

* Just past Opposition Aug 27th, so perfectly placed in evening sky

* Rises before Sunset so it’s high enough to observe as soon as it’s dark

* Naked eye - looks like a bright yellowish star

* Binoculars - out of round…might see “ears” with higher power

* Telescope - Mind blowing rings

* Saturn is crawling up the ecliptic, now just at -12 - degrees so more favourably placed than the past decade!

* We’re 9-degrees off plane from the rings now revealing the north polar region, they’ll be edge on in 2025. But this is the last year to get a great look at the rings until 2027!

* You can see at least 5 Moons , check out the S&T tool.

* How to Observe it?

* Eyepieces? Filters? & Magnifications

An observing Guide to Jupiter:

* Jupiter is in Southern Aries

* Reaches Opposition Nov. 1-2

* Need to be up early until after that date

* Naked eye looks like a pale orange star

* Binoculars show a mostly featureless disk but the Moons as galileo saw them.

* I’ve been enjoying watching the Moons in binos.

* Telescopes can show a wealth of detail on the disk from bands and festoons to the GRS.

* Use S&T tools to ID the Moons and determines visibility of GRS

* https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/interactive-sky-watching-tools/transit-times-of-jupiters-great-red-spot/

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