Have you seen Jupiter and its moons through a telescope?
By veejay19
@veejay19 (3589)
India
August 25, 2009 2:46am CST
Jupiter is a very fascinating object when viewed through a telescope with a large aperture lens.More than the planet itself its four large moons are even more interesting since they keep changing positions on a regular basis.Sometimes 2 moons are on either side, sometimes all 4 are on one side and sometimes none can be seen since they go behind the planet. This hide and seek pattern makes them very interesting to watch. I used to keep watching them every weekend through my small 60mm refractor and it was really fun to see them moving about. I also found Saturn intereting though it was a smaller object.The planet would keep changing its position on its axis so one could get a view of its rings at different angles.I could also see the planets shadow sometimes as it fell on the rings. Have you, dear friends seen these 2 objects through a telescope? Comments please.
1 person likes this
8 responses
@VKXY62 (1605)
• Australia
29 Nov 09
Hi veejay, I have indeed, the wonders of the sky bug bit me ages ago also.
My first scope was a small refractor with a 2 inch objective lens.
My second telescope was a 4.5 inch relector, I much prefer a reflector over a refractor.
Tracking motors on the telscope mount were the best thing I ever did for it.
To have the telescope just follow a target across the sky, without having to chase it with by adjusting control knobs all the time, is wonderful. This is when I started taking pics through it.
I obtained camera adapters and took photo's using 35mm film, some was colour, some Black and White, I develeoped my own B&W film and pushed it to 3000ASA.
They even came out OK, a little grainy, but wow. I have not photographed the GRS (Great Red Spot) yet, I also need a better telescope, and one day, will get one.
What really gets to me is the mind boggling distance these things are away from us.
With a refractor, every lens reflects a little light back out the front, a reflector puts all of it into your eye or camera. Refractor lenses are specially coated to reduce this, but they do not stop it altogether.
I also had a mirror sun filter, allowing one to observe directly the surface of the sun.
Once I had done as much as I could with what I had, I sold it, thinking it not long before I updated, still waiting.
@veejay19 (3589)
• India
30 Nov 09
Hi there aussie.It was great to hear from you and thanks for your wonderful comment.I just glanced through your website and was astounded by what you have done so far.Australia has some very fine amateur astronomers who are doing a great job in the field of astronomy.Unfortunately for me in India we do not have the resources as you guys have and personally i, being afflicted with Muscular Dystrophy for the last 40 years, have been virtually "imprisoned" in my house and in a wheelchair. Therefore i had to forego my love for astronomy and stick to mundane subjects. It will take me quite sometime to go through your website but i shall certainly do it. I have a friend who is an astronomer by profession and who, with my help has built a bungalow in a distant suburb of Mumbai, where i live. On top of his house he has constructed an observatory and is doing serious research on the subject of variable stars and other things. He also has a couple of powerful `scopes and is planning to get another one. He also is in touch with astronomers from all over the world including those from Australia.
1 person likes this
@chaitra001 (3278)
• Bangalore, India
25 Aug 09
Hi I have not seen any planets through telescope.. but I have read many articles on several planets and also on jupiter too.. I hardly remember few things... Jupiter is a large mass of gasses in it.. and also largest planet in our solar system. It is in the 5th position or orbit in our solar system.. is this information right??
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
29 Aug 09
Yep and it never ceases to take my breath away, especialy when I begin thinking about the size and scale of what it is I am looking at. I don't own a telescope right now, really wish I did, but I'm pretty poor, lol. Muy father always had one though, don't remember the name, or model, but I remeber him having both a refractor and a reflector type. I fist saw saturn through the reflector he had, I was probably about 9 or so, he had it trained in on saturn, rings and all, it was absolutely amazing, i was hooked on astronomy ever since.
@veejay19 (3589)
• India
30 Aug 09
I too don`t have a scope at present but am planning to buy a good one in the future, maybe 5 yrs from now on.At present the building where i am staying will be demolished in a couple of yrs and a new highrise will be built in its place.when i move over there i plan to take some upper floor which can give me a good view of the sky and then i`ll buy a scope and setup my own observatory.so you too play a guitar? 40 yrs ago when i was in college i had my own band and we called ourselves THE ARCHIBEATS since we were all students of Architecture. I used to be the groups Lead Guitarist.
@drzorge (38)
• Bulgaria
17 Mar 10
I have observed Jupiter with telescope.It's a bright star on the night sky.Brighter than Jupiter are Moon and Venus.I used a small telescope to watch the planet and I saw 3 or 4 of its satellites.It was very impressive!I want to buy powerful telescope to observe other objects in the sky. :)
@hmkoct5 (2065)
• United States
25 Aug 09
I actually have! My cousin is an avid photographer of planets. I have no idea how he does it, but he is always posting the most beautiful pictures of our planets on his Facebook page. His most recent post was a beautiful picture of Jupiter! I love seeing his photos. I wish I knew how to do something like this.
