ranger
super member
Reged: 04/30/08
Posts: 153
Loc: Chicago
|
|
Has anyone taken any images of Neptune lately?
|
ranger
super member
Reged: 04/30/08
Posts: 153
Loc: Chicago
|
|
I think I found Neptune last night. In my 4 inch scope it was very small and even at 270x magnification it did not appear as a disk. I even saw another star next to it and I am wondering if it was Triton? I am beginning to think I did not see Neptune at all because I would have expected to see a small disk and no moon? Thoughts/advice by anyone who has spotted it?
|
mv1000
super member
Reged: 05/27/07
Posts: 110
Loc: WI
|
|
ranger,
You should see very small disk at that mag. I could make out the disk at 183x in the 14.5". Along with Triton which was very faint. At 304x it was much easier.
I don't recall Tritons magnitude. Around 14 maybe? That would be impressive for a 4" scope.
--------------------
Starmaster 14.5 Hybrid/Sky Tracker
TV 60 (Finally! A nice finder)
|
ranger
super member
Reged: 04/30/08
Posts: 153
Loc: Chicago
|
|
I am thinking I didn't see it. What I thought to be Triton was too bright looking. Do you think the disk of Neptune would visually be roughly the size of one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter?
I'll look again tonight.
|
mv1000
super member
Reged: 05/27/07
Posts: 110
Loc: WI
|
|
It looks like Neptunes current size is 2.3 seconds. I believe the moons of Jupiter are barely over 1 second. I could be wrong.
--------------------
Starmaster 14.5 Hybrid/Sky Tracker
TV 60 (Finally! A nice finder)
|
ranger
super member
Reged: 04/30/08
Posts: 153
Loc: Chicago
|
|
This is an illustration in Photoshop of what I saw last night. I star hopped my way to Neptune again and I wound up in the same location as I did the previous night. I can't be certain if what I am seeing even constitutes a disk and since Neptune is twice the size of a Galilean moon (which looks disk-like to me) then I think I am looking at the wrong thing. I will have to try again later in the night when it is up higher. It was pretty low when I was looking for it. What I am seeing just isn't big enough or bright enough for what I am expecting to see.
|
LarryAlvarez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/05
Posts: 2838
Loc: Texas
|
|
Impressive Sir. Clear Skyz, LA 
--------------------
My Solar Website
|
Rick Woods
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/27/05
Posts: 4262
Loc: Inner Solar System
|
|
Triton is tough. Most likely you saw Neptune and a background star. Was it bluish? That's a dead giveaway.
--------------------
- Rick
14" LX200GPS
8" Meade 826C
|
David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6760
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
|
|
Quote:
This is an illustration in Photoshop of what I saw last night. I star hopped my way to Neptune again and I wound up in the same location as I did the previous night. I can't be certain if what I am seeing even constitutes a disk and since Neptune is twice the size of a Galilean moon (which looks disk-like to me) then I think I am looking at the wrong thing. I will have to try again later in the night when it is up higher. It was pretty low when I was looking for it. What I am seeing just isn't big enough or bright enough for what I am expecting to see.
At 2.3 arc seconds, all you will see of Neptune is a tiny pale bluish dot of light. To see much more than this will require around twice the aperture you have, but even then, under good seeing, I can just make out the disk and a hint of limb darkening in my 8 inch. For comparison, the Galilean moon Ganymede at its largest is only around 1.8 arc seconds in size. Triton is magnitude 13.5 which is definitely possible in a 4 inch but not exactly easy, especially under any skyglow. Clear skies to you.
--------------------
David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
|
JakeT93
member
Reged: 06/28/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Williamstown, NJ
|
|
I've been having difficulties finding Neptune. I know it's within the 1.12 degree FOV between those 3 stars. But how blue will it be, and what will I expect to see in my 10" at 170x?
--------------------
-Jake the Snake
My equipment:
Orion DSE 10" Light Bucket!
10x50 Finder and ebay bracket
40mm GSO Plossl
32mm Celestron Plossl
2x Antares Barlow
25mm and 6.7mm Meade 3000 Plossls
Orion Explorer II 10mm and 17mm Kellners
Orion SkyGlow Ultrablock
Antares ND25
70 M's Obsreved
All Planets seen
|
JakeT93
member
Reged: 06/28/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Williamstown, NJ
|
|
Also, Neptune's problem is its 7.8 Visual. It blends in with the crowd of stars near it.
--------------------
-Jake the Snake
My equipment:
Orion DSE 10" Light Bucket!
10x50 Finder and ebay bracket
40mm GSO Plossl
32mm Celestron Plossl
2x Antares Barlow
25mm and 6.7mm Meade 3000 Plossls
Orion Explorer II 10mm and 17mm Kellners
Orion SkyGlow Ultrablock
Antares ND25
70 M's Obsreved
All Planets seen
|
David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6760
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
|
|
Quote:
I've been having difficulties finding Neptune. I know it's within the 1.12 degree FOV between those 3 stars. But how blue will it be,
and what will I expect to see in my 10" at 170x?
It is sort of a pale sky blue with just a hint of greenish, but the color is fairly pastel so it can be hard to notice. At 170x, it is still going to be fairly small, but you should begin to see the disk a bit. To get a good look at it, I would recommend around 250x or more and wait for good seeing, as bad seeing will frequently make the disk hard to resolve. Clear skies to you.
--------------------
David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
|
JakeT93
member
Reged: 06/28/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Williamstown, NJ
|
|
Found it-Amazing! I was very satisfied with it at 114x. It had a tiny disc. The seeing isn't too great in NJ though. I'll try more power tomarow night.
--------------------
-Jake the Snake
My equipment:
Orion DSE 10" Light Bucket!
10x50 Finder and ebay bracket
40mm GSO Plossl
32mm Celestron Plossl
2x Antares Barlow
25mm and 6.7mm Meade 3000 Plossls
Orion Explorer II 10mm and 17mm Kellners
Orion SkyGlow Ultrablock
Antares ND25
70 M's Obsreved
All Planets seen
|
ranger
super member
Reged: 04/30/08
Posts: 153
Loc: Chicago
|
|
Great Job Jake! Still trying myself.
|
AZStarGuy
super member
Reged: 05/05/08
Posts: 152
Loc: Scottsdale AZ
|
|
Sweet! Congrats!! Now go for Uranus if you haven't tackled that yet too.
--------------------
Ron
8" f6 Eq Newt
24PAN, 13T6,7T1,6RAD,5RAD,4 & 3.2 Planetaries
|
ranger
super member
Reged: 04/30/08
Posts: 153
Loc: Chicago
|
|
Yup -- thats Neptune I've been looking at. I star hopped to it again and found the tell tale stars surrounding it. Not much of a disk could be seen but I am sure it was Neptune. I used my TV85 and a 3.5 mm eyepiece. Subtle blue coloration and very tiny among the stars that formed this arrow or carrot shape <
|
Deepskydave
member
Reged: 06/27/08
Posts: 91
Loc: Waltham, MA, USA
|
|
I found Neptune to be pretty good at 254X in my 8" SCT. A small pale bluish disk. I did not see Triton, but I suspected it nearby. Kind of popped in and out of view, maybe through moments of clear seeing. Triton is mag 13.5.
Uranus was slightly bigger and more greenish too. I did not see any of the moons though, Titania at mag 13.5, Oberon 13.9, Umbriel 14.8, Miranda 14.16.
--------------------
"Miranda" Nextstar 8i SE XLT
Proxima 8-24mm Zoom
OPT OIII
Vector 19ah Power Tank
Stellarvue 1.25" 99% Refelctive Diagonal
Wing Thing
|
AZStarGuy
super member
Reged: 05/05/08
Posts: 152
Loc: Scottsdale AZ
|
|
Are there any free online maps to help locate these planets?
--------------------
Ron
8" f6 Eq Newt
24PAN, 13T6,7T1,6RAD,5RAD,4 & 3.2 Planetaries
|
JakeT93
member
Reged: 06/28/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Williamstown, NJ
|
|
Yeah, I found Uranus ( The Planet  ) 2 weeks ago. I looked at it last night, and it has a tiny disc at 45x, and is easily picked out from the surroundings. Around 342x, it's big, but my skies aint great so it wasn't the clearest. 170x tops worked good, it's white with a little blue or green to it, and maybe a moon was visible? Neptune is cool, but it does blend in, but it's color is just a little differant. Nice job finding it! My next challenge is to find Mercury, my horizons aint the best, maybe around 3-6 degrees off the SW I can see, and 2-4 off the S.
Ron, I reccomend you go to www.stellarium.com and download the latest version of it, and they have finder charts for anything you want to see. When you install it, I think planets are already labeled. To center in on one, just click inside the circle, push the SPACE, and then number 9(PgUp) to zoom in, and number 3(PgDn) to zoom out. Both on the number pad on your keyboard.
--------------------
-Jake the Snake
My equipment:
Orion DSE 10" Light Bucket!
10x50 Finder and ebay bracket
40mm GSO Plossl
32mm Celestron Plossl
2x Antares Barlow
25mm and 6.7mm Meade 3000 Plossls
Orion Explorer II 10mm and 17mm Kellners
Orion SkyGlow Ultrablock
Antares ND25
70 M's Obsreved
All Planets seen
Edited by JakeT93 (08/06/08 10:42 PM)
|
Deepskydave
member
Reged: 06/27/08
Posts: 91
Loc: Waltham, MA, USA
|
|
Sky and Telescope has a Java script that you can locate the moons of any planet within telescope range and magnitude. Check them out for the moon locator.
Dave
--------------------
"Miranda" Nextstar 8i SE XLT
Proxima 8-24mm Zoom
OPT OIII
Vector 19ah Power Tank
Stellarvue 1.25" 99% Refelctive Diagonal
Wing Thing
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 