Exploring the Night Sky: Jupiter, Saturn, and Comet Photos

In summary, the conversation was about setting up a telescope on a deck at a new townhouse and observing various celestial objects. The speaker mentioned their scope's tracking being mediocre and discussed their observations of Jupiter, comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, and the Ring Nebula. They also mentioned some challenges with their setup, such as trees and roof obstructions, and expressed a desire for a new telescope with better tracking and faster focal ratio. The conversation ended with the speaker planning to take pictures of Jupiter being occulted by Ganymede.
  • #1
russ_watters
Mentor
23,126
10,303
I set up my scope on my deck at my new townhouse for the first time last night. It was pretty good, though my scope's tracking was pretty mediocre.

First up, Jupiter, with Callisto to the left, Ganymede and Europa to the right, and Io in front, casting a shadow.

Next, comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, fragment C, I think. Good news/bad news - it is breaking-up, which makes it interesting to look at, but dimmer than expected.

Next, M57 - my first photo of the Ring Nebula. At mag 9.5, I wasn't sure I'd be able to get it, but it is relatively consistent brightness, so it came out ok. That's as opposed to a galaxy that may be listed at mag 8, but that would just be the core - the arms of galaxies are much dimmer.

Unfortunately, I have some trees behind my place that obscure everything below about 45 degrees, and the inclination of the ecliptic sends planets behind my roof. But setting up on my deck is a lot better than setting up on my driveway - I don't have to watch it (heck, I can leave it and go to bed!).

I'm still itching for a new telescope. At 15 second exposures, only about half of the photos are useable and at 30 seconds, only about a quarter of them. Its this nagging tracking bug I can't seem to shake. Plus, the focal ratio is so slow you can't get too much out of it. With a faster scope and more consistent tracking, there is a lot I could see from here with just 30sec or 1 min exposures.

Still processing more...
 

Attachments

  • jupiter-2320a.jpg
    jupiter-2320a.jpg
    2.6 KB · Views: 506
  • sw-20a1.jpg
    sw-20a1.jpg
    17.5 KB · Views: 502
  • m57-30.jpg
    m57-30.jpg
    9.1 KB · Views: 525
Last edited:
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
Saturn.

Not my best, but not bad.
 

Attachments

  • saturn 2x-04.jpg
    saturn 2x-04.jpg
    1.8 KB · Views: 480
  • #3
Tonight, Jupiter being occulted by Ganymede. Going to have several pics...

This one has Ganymede right below its shadow, and Io, probably overbrightened.
 

Attachments

  • Jupiter-2215.jpg
    Jupiter-2215.jpg
    2.1 KB · Views: 489
Last edited:

What do the photos of Jupiter and Saturn look like?

The photos of Jupiter and Saturn show the gas giants' distinct features, such as Jupiter's bands of clouds and Saturn's iconic rings. The colors in the photos are enhanced to bring out the details and are not representative of the actual colors of the planets.

How were the photos of Jupiter and Saturn taken?

The photos of Jupiter and Saturn were taken by spacecrafts that have been sent by NASA, such as Voyager and Cassini. These spacecrafts use powerful cameras and instruments to capture the images and data.

Why are the photos of Jupiter and Saturn important?

The photos of Jupiter and Saturn provide valuable information about the planets' composition, weather patterns, and moons. They also help scientists better understand the formation and evolution of our solar system.

Can we see Jupiter and Saturn with our naked eyes?

Yes, both Jupiter and Saturn are visible to the naked eye from Earth. Jupiter is usually the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon, while Saturn appears as a yellowish-white star. However, a telescope is needed to see the planets' features and rings.

Are the photos of Jupiter and Saturn real or computer-generated?

The photos of Jupiter and Saturn are real and not computer-generated. However, some images may be enhanced or processed to bring out certain features or details, but they are still based on the actual data and images captured by the spacecrafts.

Similar threads

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
28
Views
3K
Replies
16
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
2
Replies
51
Views
5K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
20
Views
5K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
13
Views
3K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
10
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
3
Views
969
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
4
Views
19K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
4
Views
9K
Back
Top