David's Astronomy Pages (Solar System) Planet

Moon

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Asteroids

	General Comments		This page summarises observations and images of planets and their moons. For a listing of all Planetary Images see Image Database - Planets
	Mercury
	Venus
	Mars
	Jupiter
	Jupiter's Moons
	Saturn
	Saturn's Moons
	Uranus
	Neptune
	Pluto

Planets - General Comments

Planets are a long way away and an 8" telescope is small in comparison with large professional telescopes. Consequently the views I have of the planets through my home telescope can in no way compare with the published pictures taken through the Hubble Telescope. 

The diagram below shows the relative sizes of the planets as viewed through my 8" LX200 telescope, compared to each other and to the telescope's field of view at x206. I was somewhat disappointed by my first telescope observation of Mars, but careful observations can nevertheless be very rewarding - the more you look, the more you see. 

The quality of the planetary views is dependant on a number of factors; views will be best when the planet is close  to opposition (when planet lies closest to earth), and highest in the sky and when atmospheric seeing conditions are clearest and/or most steady.

Relatives sizes of Planets through F10/8" LX200, 9.7mm eyepiece,  x206

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Mercury

2007 (Naked Eye, Binoculars and Camera)

Mercury at Dusk (Mag -0.7)

Digital Photo (EOS 400D) 1/3s, f/4, ISO 400, 70mm (cropped) 2007-05-18  21:47 h UT (#IMG_0470)

2002 (Visual)
I made my first positive sighting of Mercury in May 2002 during the relatively famous planetary alignment that occurred of that year, when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were all visible together in the western evening sky. There was a lot of public interest in the event and my sighting was during a public star party at Dave Strange's  Observatory Site at Worth Matravers, Dorset.

1996 (Visual)
Earlier I had a possible sighting of Mercury on 1996-04-01, lying between Venus and the NW horizon

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Venus

Venus (69% phase Mag -4.1)

CCD Image, 0.11 sec exposure, lunar filter 2004-02-19  19:27 h UT (#58044) 8" LX200 operating at f/7)

1996 (Drawing)

Drawing of Venus, 1996-04-05, 49% Phase (phase however appeared to be less, more like 46% is this related to Schroter effect),

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Mars

2003
Recorded images of Mars when close to opposition.

Mars - close to Opposition (phase 99.6%, 25.0 arc min diameter)

8" SCT operating at F/29 through eyepiece projection 0.25 sec exposure. Unfiltered. Unsharp masked. Image Scale 0.31 arc sec/pixel  (equivalent to surface scale of 85 km/pixel) 2003-08-23  00:32:04 h UT (#52117)

Recorded my first CCD image of Mars when close to opposition in July/August 2003.

First CCD Image of Mars

CCD Image 8" LX200 with Barlow 0.12s exposure, unsharped masked 2003-07-13 02:47h UT (#45151)

1995
Viewed Mars when close to Opposition in January/February 1995. It was the first planet I looked at through the LX200 and I was initially disappointed that it didn't appear as a larger disk and didn't show more surface features.  My expectations since have become more reasonable. 

Drawing of Mars, 1995-01-23 Drawn from x206 view

Following sketches of Mars, showing darker maria markings. The position of markings at roughly the same time of the evening of 1995-Feb-20 and 1995-Feb-22 indicate an approximately 15 deg difference in position of Mars surface.  Calculating it out, this is consistent with 24.5 hours day length on Mars, as Mars will rotate 705 deg in the time that Earth rotates 720 deg (i.e. 48 hours).

Drawings of Mars, 1995 Drawn from x154 view
1995-02-20 23:00 UT		1995-02-205 23:15 UT		1995-02-22 22:55 UT

First attempt at photo of Mars

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Jupiter

2003

Detailed view of Jupiter ( Io and Ganymede are only just visible in this 0.1 sec exposure)

CCD image,  0.1s exposure, Unsharp-Masked 2003-01-24 00:45h UT (#41314) 3.5 x 2.0 arc mins

2002

Jupiter	Jupiter revolution over 1 hour
2002-03-01  23:18hUT CCD Image, 0.3 sec exposure (#18089) Heavy unsharp marking 8"/f10 SCT with Barlow	2002-03-01  23:14 to 00:07hUT Sequence of CCD Images,  0.3 sec exposure (#18084 et al) Heavy unsharp marking 8"/f10 SCT with Barlow
	Similar but with light unsharp masking

2001

First CCD Image of Jupiter  2001-10-31 (#8081)

1999

Photo, 1999-Dec-07, 00:10 UT LX200, f/10, 9.7mm Eyepiece projection Image enhanced to highlight bands More details

1998
Jupiter is a regular target for my telescope, when its sky position allows. It is appears as the largest of all the planets through a telescope with an apparent diameter of around 47 arc seconds (in contrast Mars only gets to a maximum apparent diameter of around 13 arc seconds).

Drawings of Jupiter, 1998/99 F10/8" LX200, Drawn from x206 view
1998-11-01 23:00 UT	1999-11-08 22:40 UT	1999-11-08 22:40 UT

Drawing of Jupiter 1998-Oct-23, 21:45 UT Drawn from x206 view, green filter

Four of Jupiter's moons are visible orbiting around planet.

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Jupiter Moons

Jupiter has lots of moons, but only the the 4 biggest moons are visible through an 8" telescope.  They make an interesting subject for telescope observation, as their motion around Jupiter can be followed over the course of a few evenings or even during an evening itself.  Jupiter moons can also be readily seen through good binoculars.

2002 (CCD Imaging)
In 2002 I recorded an occultation of Io by Jupiter during a 3.1/2hour CCD imaging session. (See animated sequence of CCD Images of Io Occulation 2002-03-07).

2002-03-07  21:08hUT CCD Image, 1 sec exposure (#19041) 8"/f10 SCT

2001 (CCD Imaging)

CCD Image, 2001-11-09, 01:17h UT (#10067-71) Jupiter's four main moons appear in this 5 x 0.05 sec exposure

1999 (Photo Imaging)

Photo, 1999-Dec-06, 23:50 UT LX200, f/10, 26mm Eyepiece projection,  Fujicolor 400, 1 sec exposure

1998 (Drawings)

Drawings of Jupiter Moons, October/November 1998 F10/8" LX200, 26mm, 41deg FOV,  x77 view
1998-Oct-23 23:00 UT	1998-Nov-01 18:40 UT	1998-Nov-01 23:10 UT

Io (a moon of Jupiter) was watched through the course of the evening of 1998-Nov-01 as it transited across the face of Jupiter. 

Drawings showing successive stages of the transit (37 kb).

1995 (Drawings)
When one of Jupiter's moons passes between the Jupiter and the Sun, it can cast a shadow on Jupiter, which can sometimes be observed, see following sketch.

Drawing of Io and its shadow cast on Jupiter,  1995-Jan-23, 21:40 UT Drawn from x206 view

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Saturn

Saturn

CCD Image (unsharp masked, cropped) 0.12s exposure (single frame), 1x1 binning, C Filter  2011-04-05 23:48 hUT (#466067) 12" LX200R  (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

Earlier Image of Saturn from Feb 2010 - 2010-02-21

CCD Image (cropped) 0.2 sec exposure (single frame), 1x1 binning, R Filter  Unsharp Masked 2010-02-21 00:41 h UT  (#414465) 12" LX200R  (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

2001 (CCD Imaging)

CCD Image of Saturn 2001-Oct-31 (#8043)

1999 (Photo Imaging)

Photo of Saturn 1999-Dec-07, 00:21 UT LX200, 8", 26mm eyepiece projection Cropped and enhanced More details

1995-1999 (Drawings)
Saturn is famous for its rings. These can be clearly seen in through by telescope and the changing tilt in the planet can be viewed over successive years as the following sketches show. 

Drawings of Saturn, 1995-1999 F10/8" LX200, Drawn from x206 view
1995-Oct-20 0 deg tilt	1996-Nov-10 9 deg tilt	1998-Nov-01 22:55 UT 16 deg tilt	1999-Nov-08 23:10 UT 21 deg tilt

Four to five of Saturn's moons can be seen orbiting around the planet.

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Saturn Moons

Saturn Moons

Annotated CCD Image (cropped) 5 x 0.2s exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter  2011-04-05 23:46 hUT (#466059-82) 12" LX200R  (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

Saturn Moons (Titan, Tethys, Enceladus & Rhea)

CCD Image (cropped) 0.3 sec exposure (single frame), 2x2 binning, C Filter  2010-02-21 00:44 h UT  (#414480) 12" LX200R  (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME

Saturn Moons

Annotated CCD Image 30s exposure, 1x1 binning (cropped), C Filter (with 0.2s exposure insert) 2008-02-24 21:38 hUT (#268146)

2001 (CCD Imaging)

2001-11-09, 01:03h UT (#10022) Six of Saturn's moons appear in this CCD Image (2 sec exposure) (click on an image for details & larger view)

1998 (Drawings)
The motion of Saturn's moons can be followed over the course of a few evenings, just like Jupiter's Moons, as these following sketches show.

Drawings of Saturn's Moons, November 1998 F10/8" LX200, 9.7mm, 15 deg FOV,  x206 view
1998-Nov-01 22:55 UT	1998-Nov-17 21:50 UT

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Uranus

2002 (CCD Imaging)
I took my first CCD Image of Neptune on 2002-09-01, and then imaged the plant on 3 more occasions over the next 20 days. I was able to image the moons Oberon and Titania and observe their movement around the planet.

Uranus, Oberon and Titania

Uranus + the moons Oberon and Titania

2002-09-13  00:13 to 00:15h UT CCD Image, 4 x 30 sec exposure (2x2 binning) 11.4 x 7.6 arc min  (#25068-72) (Notes on Identification of Uranian Moons) Oberon has a calibrated Magnitude of +14.7 +/- 0.2

1998 (Visual)
I viewed Uranus on 1998-Aug-14 , on the same night that I saw Neptune for first time.  The planet had a very small yellowish disk-like appearance. 

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Neptune

2002 (CCD Imaging)
I took my first CCD Image of Neptune on 2002-09-23, when I was also able to image the moon Triton (Mag +13).

Neptune + the moon Triton

2002-09-23  21:32 to 21:34h UT CCD Image, 5 x 15 sec exposure (2x2 binning) 11.4 x 7.6 arc min  (#27018-22)

Neptune + the moon Triton (Neptune mag +7.9, Triton est. mag +13.0)

2002-09-23  21:34 to 21:36h UT CCD Image, 5 x 15 sec exposure (1x1 binning) 3.3 x 2.3 arc min  (#27023-27)

1998 (Visual)
I had my first view of Neptune on 1998-Aug-14, it had a small disk like appearence, but relatively little else to distinguish it.  It lay in the same part of the sky as Uranus. Finding it would have been difficult without the GOTO function of the LX200.  It was distinctly smaller and dimmer than Uranus. I viewed Neptune again on 1998-Nov-01.  

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Pluto 

(now formally regarded as a dwarf planet)

2003 (CCD Imaging)
An object, believed to be Pluto by comparison with a starfield generated by TheSky software program, was imaged with CCD in Jul 2003. It's apparent magnitude (+15.6) was noted to be a lot dimmer than Pluto's catalog magnitude (+13.8). A later image was collected which provided confirmation that the object imaged was not a star.  

Pluto   (object confirmed by comparison with later clear field image)

CCD Image  taken on 2003-07-13 compared  with a later image taken on 2003-08-02 both images 7 x 10 sec (median combine) 8.5 x 7.0 arc min

A series of CCD images of Pluto were taken over 3 days in August 2003 which clearly show the motion of the planet against the background stars in constellation Ophiuchus.

Pluto (moving through Ophiuchus)

Animated sequence of CCD images taking over 3 days. Motion recorded as 0.83 arc min per day. 2003-08-02  to 2003-08-05  8.5 x 6.7 arc mins

2001 (Visual)
I haven't seen Pluto as at 2001. Using TheSky software I located and observed the precise sky position at which  Pluto lay in the constellation Ophiuchus in 2001-Jun. However at Magnitude +13.8 it was just too dim to visually see through the LX200 with the naked eye, limiting magnitude was judged to lie at around Mag +12.  

I will try Pluto again when visual viewing conditions are better. I will also try to image Pluto when I get a CCD camera (see 2003 results above)

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