- #1
PhilDSP
- 643
- 15
After waiting about 10 days for clear weather last night and this morning I spent several hours testing a new observational rig: a very heavy high power set of binoculars mounted on a heavy tripod with a geared turret. Conditions were good: clear, still and cold (-4 degrees C) but with some frozen moisture from the ocean reflecting the light of the full moon just above the Western horizon.
I was just able to detect Titan, Saturn's moon and double checked with this Java Applet that where I saw it was it's actual position
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/javascript/saturn_moons#
But as I was scanning to find Titan, I saw nearby what looked like 2 very faint points of light that I first thought were stars. After a minute I could detect movement in relation to Saturn so I then thought one was a satellite. But watching further, they both moved in tandem in relation to the planet as if Saturn were traversing the background field of stars at the approximate speed of the rotation of the Earth.
The reasonable explanation must be that they are asteroids with a solar orbit that roughly matches the Earth's rotation when viewed from our position. But they were so close together (about 5 minutes of arc) that I would think there would be some gravitational locking.
This occurred about 5:30 GMT. Comments?
I was just able to detect Titan, Saturn's moon and double checked with this Java Applet that where I saw it was it's actual position
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/javascript/saturn_moons#
But as I was scanning to find Titan, I saw nearby what looked like 2 very faint points of light that I first thought were stars. After a minute I could detect movement in relation to Saturn so I then thought one was a satellite. But watching further, they both moved in tandem in relation to the planet as if Saturn were traversing the background field of stars at the approximate speed of the rotation of the Earth.
The reasonable explanation must be that they are asteroids with a solar orbit that roughly matches the Earth's rotation when viewed from our position. But they were so close together (about 5 minutes of arc) that I would think there would be some gravitational locking.
This occurred about 5:30 GMT. Comments?
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