3 planets - go look if you get a chance
Apr. 9th, 2012 08:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sepdetThe sky ls being dramatic this week. Around 9 pm there's Venus on the eastern horizon, Mars straight overhead and Saturn rising. Saturn's rings are tipped towards us right now, so it looks really spectacular even through a wee backyard telescope like the ones they sell in gadgets-for-Yuppies stores.
If you've got binoculars, or even if you don't, I recommend going out and taking a look. With binocs, you should be able to see that Mars is a disc, not a pinpoint, and the color is obvious. Saturn's "ears" won't be visible, but you may be able to tell it's not round. And last night, although it practically blinded me compared to the other two, I could see that Venus was gibbous. Its phases are pretty obvious with any kind of magnification because it's always got the sun below the horizon shining up at it.
i need to work out a better kitchen stool arrangement so kids will have an easier time looking without bumping the eyepiece. I love setting up in the park behind my condo and letting people look. It's more fun to share, and the reactions to Saturn are usually very heartfelt variants of "wow, it's really there!" or "it looks just like the pictures!" even though the image is teeny tiny. (In my old 2.4" scope, Saturn looks like a 20x20 pixel icon: the silhouette and tan color are clear, but no details).
Here's a free sky chart program to double-check planet rise in your area: yoursky.
If you've got binoculars, or even if you don't, I recommend going out and taking a look. With binocs, you should be able to see that Mars is a disc, not a pinpoint, and the color is obvious. Saturn's "ears" won't be visible, but you may be able to tell it's not round. And last night, although it practically blinded me compared to the other two, I could see that Venus was gibbous. Its phases are pretty obvious with any kind of magnification because it's always got the sun below the horizon shining up at it.
i need to work out a better kitchen stool arrangement so kids will have an easier time looking without bumping the eyepiece. I love setting up in the park behind my condo and letting people look. It's more fun to share, and the reactions to Saturn are usually very heartfelt variants of "wow, it's really there!" or "it looks just like the pictures!" even though the image is teeny tiny. (In my old 2.4" scope, Saturn looks like a 20x20 pixel icon: the silhouette and tan color are clear, but no details).
Here's a free sky chart program to double-check planet rise in your area: yoursky.
