saturn and jupiter

Hi i was wondering what the best times these days are to see saturn and or
jupiter. I got a big telescope but I havent used it much lately mostly
because its too cold but its starting to get a little bit warmer out. And how
do I know where to look ? I mean besides up in the sky. And also is there a
way i can peep at the sun without worrying about frying my eyeballs out ?

Tanx

Holly

Where's Folly?

Holly wrote:

Hi i was wondering what the best times these days are to see saturn and or
jupiter. I got a big telescope but I havent used it much lately mostly
because its too cold but its starting to get a little bit warmer out. And how
do I know where to look ? I mean besides up in the sky. And also is there a
way i can peep at the sun without worrying about frying my eyeballs out ?

Tanx

Holly



In Australia you can see Saturn from nightfall til about 4 am, & Jupiter
by about midnight.

Saw them both a couple of nights ago - you can clearly see 5 or 6 moons
as well.....

Holly wrote:
Hi i was wondering what the best times these days are to see saturn
and or
jupiter. I got a big telescope but I havent used it much lately
mostly
because its too cold but its starting to get a little bit warmer out.
And how
do I know where to look ? I mean besides up in the sky. And also is
there a
way i can peep at the sun without worrying about frying my eyeballs
out ?

Tanx

Holly


Jupiter is prominant in the southern sky right now in the late
night/early morning hours. Saturn is off to the west.

You can buy a solar filter to look at the sun, but don't even think
about looking at the Sun through a telescope without one!

Double-A

Holly wrote:

Hi i was wondering what the best times these days are to see saturn and or
jupiter.

Saturn can be seen easily before midnight near the constellation
of "Twins"

(Assuming you live in the northern hemisphere):
- Look up "Orion"
- From the shoulders turn a little bit leftwards (~20°). You will see 3
really bright stars. 2 of them (the northern ones) are 'Castor' and
'Pollux', the main stars in 'Twins'. The third is Saturn.


As for Jupiter:
At 11 pm look in the direction of where the sun rises. You will see
a realy, realy bright object above the horizon. That's Jupiter.
You can't miss it. It is by far the brightest object in that area.


I got a big telescope but I havent used it much lately mostly
because its too cold but its starting to get a little bit warmer out. And how
do I know where to look ?

Get yourself an astronimical almanac
Every bigger book store with an astronical section will have
one (Sorry I cannot recommend one, because I live in the
'german' hemisphere, and german books wouldn't be of good use
to you). Usually they are unexpensive. They contain charts and
descriptions of what to see where in the sky for each month of the
year.

And when you are at the store, get yourself a Planisphere. They
are inexpensive too. (eg. http://www.astromax.com/chandler/nightsky.htm )

You can build a planisphere by yourself, eg.
http://school.discovery.com/schoolad...nisphere1.html



I mean besides up in the sky. And also is there a
way i can peep at the sun without worrying about frying my eyeballs out ?


Didn't your scope come with some filters?

Just in case it didn't: You can use your scope to project the sun eg.
on a white piece of paper or the ceiling or whatever. Just set it up as usual,
point it at the sun (use the scopes shadow to align it properly - don't look
through the eyepiece!. Just turn the scope until the shadow of the tube gets
smallest and becomes a perfect circle. This alignment usually is good enough
to find the sun easily with a little bit searching.) and hold a piece of paper
20 or 30 cm infront of the eyepiece. Focus the eyepiece such that the sun image
gets sharp on the paper and ... voila.

--
Karl Heinz Buchegger

I mean besides up in the sky. And also is there a
way i can peep at the sun without worrying about frying my eyeballs out ?


Didn't your scope come with some filters?

Scopes seldom come with approved Solar filters, you have to purchase them
separately. Don't use an eyepiece filter to look at the sun, you need one
that completely covers tube, the scopes manufacturer should have a website
that offers them for sale.


Just in case it didn't: You can use your scope to project the sun eg.
on a white piece of paper or the ceiling or whatever. Just set it up as
usual,
point it at the sun (use the scopes shadow to align it properly - don't
look
through the eyepiece!. Just turn the scope until the shadow of the tube
gets
smallest and becomes a perfect circle. This alignment usually is good
enough
to find the sun easily with a little bit searching.) and hold a piece of
paper
20 or 30 cm infront of the eyepiece. Focus the eyepiece such that the sun
image
gets sharp on the paper and ... voila.

--
Karl Heinz Buchegger

"Twittering One" wrote in
oups.com:

Where's Folly?



Funny ha ha funny.
So funny i almost forgot to laugh

"Double-A" wrote in news:1108030681.596904.289870
@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:


Holly wrote:
Hi i was wondering what the best times these days are to see saturn
and or
jupiter. I got a big telescope but I havent used it much lately
mostly
because its too cold but its starting to get a little bit warmer out.
And how
do I know where to look ? I mean besides up in the sky. And also is
there a
way i can peep at the sun without worrying about frying my eyeballs
out ?

Tanx

Holly


Jupiter is prominant in the southern sky right now in the late
night/early morning hours. Saturn is off to the west.

Woe so then I would need a compass then.

You can buy a solar filter to look at the sun, but don't even think
about looking at the Sun through a telescope without one!

Double-A



Nope Im not that dumb.
My eyes are important to me because ... Well you know why.
My peepers r precious.

Karl Heinz Buchegger wrote in
:

Holly wrote:

Hi i was wondering what the best times these days are to see saturn and
or jupiter.

Saturn can be seen easily before midnight near the constellation
of "Twins"

(Assuming you live in the northern hemisphere):
- Look up "Orion"
- From the shoulders turn a little bit leftwards (~20°). You will see 3
really bright stars. 2 of them (the northern ones) are 'Castor' and
'Pollux', the main stars in 'Twins'. The third is Saturn.

Thats just it i don't know any constillations besides the dippers.



As for Jupiter:
At 11 pm look in the direction of where the sun rises. You will see
a realy, realy bright object above the horizon. That's Jupiter.
You can't miss it. It is by far the brightest object in that area.

Ok the sub rises in the east and sets in the west. So at least i can probly
find that.



I got a big telescope but I havent used it much lately mostly
because its too cold but its starting to get a little bit warmer out.
And how do I know where to look ?

Get yourself an astronimical almanac
Every bigger book store with an astronical section will have
one (Sorry I cannot recommend one, because I live in the
'german' hemisphere, and german books wouldn't be of good use
to you). Usually they are unexpensive. They contain charts and
descriptions of what to see where in the sky for each month of the
year.

Good idea.

And when you are at the store, get yourself a Planisphere. They
are inexpensive too. (eg. http://www.astromax.com/chandler/nightsky.htm
)

You can build a planisphere by yourself, eg.
http://school.discovery.com/schoolad...to/planisphere
1.html

Woe cool.



I mean besides up in the sky. And also is there a
way i can peep at the sun without worrying about frying my eyeballs out
?


Didn't your scope come with some filters?

nope.

Just in case it didn't: You can use your scope to project the sun eg.
on a white piece of paper or the ceiling or whatever. Just set it up as
usual, point it at the sun (use the scopes shadow to align it properly -
don't look through the eyepiece!. Just turn the scope until the shadow
of the tube gets smallest and becomes a perfect circle. This alignment
usually is good enough to find the sun easily with a little bit
searching.) and hold a piece of paper 20 or 30 cm infront of the
eyepiece. Focus the eyepiece such that the sun image gets sharp on the
paper and ... voila.


Hmm but wouldn't that burn through the papaer ?
I want to see sun spots and sun flares.

"The Ancient One" wrote in
:



I mean besides up in the sky. And also is there a
way i can peep at the sun without worrying about frying my eyeballs
out ?


Didn't your scope come with some filters?

Scopes seldom come with approved Solar filters, you have to purchase
them separately. Don't use an eyepiece filter to look at the sun, you
need one that completely covers tube, the scopes manufacturer should
have a website that offers them for sale.

I got a big white one from meade and its hooked up with this thing that
remote controls it but i havent figured it out yet. I do look at the moon
and thats about it even that hurts my eyeballs after a while. When i try
looking at stars they usualy look just about the same as they look with my
eyes for some reason.


Just in case it didn't: You can use your scope to project the sun eg.
on a white piece of paper or the ceiling or whatever. Just set it up as
usual,
point it at the sun (use the scopes shadow to align it properly - don't
look
through the eyepiece!. Just turn the scope until the shadow of the tube
gets
smallest and becomes a perfect circle. This alignment usually is good
enough
to find the sun easily with a little bit searching.) and hold a piece
of paper
20 or 30 cm infront of the eyepiece. Focus the eyepiece such that the
sun image
gets sharp on the paper and ... voila.

--
Karl Heinz Buchegger