Got a more-or-less decent shot at Mars again a bit ago. My 90- 100 degree night temps are playing H--- with stability. Seeing was not great. However, I glommed together enough "good" shots for a usable image.
Did someone eat Neptune? I have been looking for it for several nights, but just can't seem to find it. I have an 11" Celestron so I should be able to see something, but not happening. I think I just don't know what it SHOULD look like. Can anyone post a Neptune pix showing what it should look like in its natural background - any star pattern around it, etc. I am almost certain I am doing something wrong. My mount will point directly to Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, but when I slew to Neptune I get nothing but empty space. When I slew to "stuff" in the area around my empty hole I cannot determine whether I am seeing it or not. I would expect it to be a fairly stable light somewhat bigger than stars. Any assistance would be appreciated.
Mars
Read Greg Bear's The Forge of God.
Sometimes the best way to find some of those outer planets is to get a good computer program that will give the star field you would expect to see at a given magnification, with the location of the planet. That may be the only way to recognize it, plus maybe a little color difference. I haven't tried it myself, but had a friend with a 12" dobsonian telescope and that is what he did. Good luck!
SonnyE
Loc: Communist California, USA
With an 11" Celestron, I would presume you have it on a Go-To mount.
If so, it would be a hop-skip-and a Jump to computer guiding.
Then a download of Stellarium, and you are almost there.
I do that, and use Stellarium to take me to the objects I want to image.
Even if you don't take it to that extent, Stellarium is great to do your pre-views and Planning with.
Stellarium
https://stellarium.org/I just ran a search in Stellarium, and it will be rising at 18:23 Hrs (6:23 PM) in the ESE.
At 22:00 Hrs (10:00 PM), Neptune will be very nearly centered between the East and South.
It will be following the moon, at about twice the distance that Mar's is leading the moon.
Good luck, it's there, just keep looking.
When I got up for work this morning I took my dog out. I was amazed at how many stars I could see for my location.
And there, right about at my South Meridian, was my old friend Orion.
But the sky was just amazing.
Dang , that's awesome detail. Kudos ! W7MEV
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