Jupiter with Neptune

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WCGucfa
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Jupiter with Neptune

Unread post by WCGucfa »

Hey Guys,

I'm posting this here rather than in the Imager's Studio because I think I remember Bob Sikes mentioning it as a May challenge. I don't remember ever seeing Jupiter and Neptune (Neptune is just above center in image at 7.9 mag.) in the same 1.5 degree field through a scope before. On this morning (5/31/09) they were 26' 46" apart and forming a nice triangle with Mu Capricorni.
Jupiter's moons along with a few stars, located (N up inverted image) North, TYC 5801-945-1 mag. 10.26, Europa,West of the planet and TYC 5801-839-1 East @ mag. 8.45, with TYC 5801-8771 mag. 9.37 hanging South, sort of formed a mini Cygnus or cross. Note that Io is nearly lost in Jupiter's glare. Can't see the Cygnus asterism? Europa is "Deneb," 839-1 is "Alberio."
The planets were even closer a few cloudy nights before.

Bill

Sony DSC F717, 120mm refractor, 25 sec. 40mm EP. approx.0340 hrs DST.Location: Little Compton, RI.Image

Image

Image
Last edited by WCGucfa on Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
Comets:40, Best Meteor shwr: Leonids '01, Best Aurora:Oct. '03.
Total.Sol.Eclipse,7/10/72 from Nova Scotia.Annular Sol. Eclipse '94,
Trans.of Venus 2004&2012.,ShoeLevy crash into Jupiter '94.
4/25/66 fireball-9 mag.,SN2011fe,N2012aw,DelphN2013.
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Mark G
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Unread post by Mark G »

Nice shot Bill :!: 8) Was this taken at your home?

I do wondor just what you could capture imaging through that Antares 1529 you bought for a "song & a dance" :?:
Clear skies,

Mark

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WCGucfa
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Unread post by WCGucfa »

Hi Mark, thanks!

Nope, this was taken from S. Shore beach in Little Compton. I had been waiting for it to clear all week and it finally cleared at the last couple of hours before sunrise on 5/31.
There was one clear night earlier in the week but the wind was blowing up to 30mph!

Bill
Comets:40, Best Meteor shwr: Leonids '01, Best Aurora:Oct. '03.
Total.Sol.Eclipse,7/10/72 from Nova Scotia.Annular Sol. Eclipse '94,
Trans.of Venus 2004&2012.,ShoeLevy crash into Jupiter '94.
4/25/66 fireball-9 mag.,SN2011fe,N2012aw,DelphN2013.
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Pete
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Unread post by Pete »

It's very nice indeed Bill. But don't tell me you drove down to Little Compton at 03:00 to take this picture. Geeze!

Pete
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NGC7000
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Unread post by NGC7000 »

That's a very nice shot, Bill. Love it with the moons. How's the sky from that beach?

Tom
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WCGucfa
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Unread post by WCGucfa »

Thanks guys.

Pete, I was there all week. It's a yearly tradition. You may remember my southern sky shots from here last year. That's when I forgot my counter balance but decided to shoot anyway.

The back of the house we stay in faces south and sits right on the ocean.
This is the best part of the sky. Light domes everywhere else but the Milky Way is a bright cloud emerging from the water. :D 8) It's close to where the ASSNE Little Compton observing site is.

Bill
Comets:40, Best Meteor shwr: Leonids '01, Best Aurora:Oct. '03.
Total.Sol.Eclipse,7/10/72 from Nova Scotia.Annular Sol. Eclipse '94,
Trans.of Venus 2004&2012.,ShoeLevy crash into Jupiter '94.
4/25/66 fireball-9 mag.,SN2011fe,N2012aw,DelphN2013.
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Rotorhead
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Unread post by Rotorhead »

Nice, Bill - nice to see that you got a chance to view from that spot in Little Compton, and nice to catch such a good image! I love the Cygnus imitation! Well, 'Fortune favors the bold' so you deserve to catch such an interesting planetary conjunction by being up and ready at that hour! It's nice to know that you didn't waste your vacation time by resting or anything foolish like that. :D
Bob M
15" f5 Starsplitter Dob/80mm Finder
5" Explore Scientific triplet APO on a Vixen Sphinx GEM
________
"He numbers all the stars, and calls each one by name." Ps 147:4
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BobSikes
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Jupiter in line

Unread post by BobSikes »

Very nice Bill,

Jupiter with it's moons all lined up always look great by eye, but I've never had much luck getting a shot that captures the view. And you tossed in Neptune as well!

Maybe Jupiter/Neptune can be a Whatzup for early risers. (which would not be me :wink: )

BobS
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Rotorhead
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Unread post by Rotorhead »

Bob, it took a whole year (nearly thirteen months, really) but Joe B and I spotted the GRS last night. I tried to log it with your old challenge, but it has been locked and stored in a dusty closet, so I'm putting it here. Since nobody else has logged this on this forum, we claim the fava beans! :D

Our time of observation was about 11:45 PM last night, and the spot was on the upper equatorial cloud band (dob view for both of us) and moving to the left limb of Jupiter (east side, in a dob). Sky X confims it, and shows the same moon pattern we saw at the same time, but if anyone has a better program that shows different, I will stand corrected. I was using 221x in the 15", I'm not sure of Joe's power in his 12".

The GRS showed as a somewhat dark spot, slightly elongated, in and out of visibility, but there were at least four cloud bands and the south polar regions showing almost constantly, as a measure of the sky steadiness. I could also resolve a good disk on Ganymede.

I think we found it. :wink:
Bob M
15" f5 Starsplitter Dob/80mm Finder
5" Explore Scientific triplet APO on a Vixen Sphinx GEM
________
"He numbers all the stars, and calls each one by name." Ps 147:4
Bruce D
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Unread post by Bruce D »

Nice shot Bill, and like you, I don't recall the two planets ever being so close either, but I guess there's only one shot at it every 12 years or so
Bruce D
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