Sick of Mars? Try Saturn

"David Knisely" wrote in message
...
Stephen Astro posted:

THE best time to observe Saturn is fast approaching.

That depends on what one means by the word "fast". Opposition is New
Year's Eve!

Cool. Orion is scheduled to ship my new 10" Dob September 30th, so I'll have
a good view from here. ;-)

--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

**********************************************
* Attend the 10th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY *
* July 27-Aug. 1st, 2003, Merritt Reservoir *
* http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org *
**********************************************

In message , Ron Baalke
writes
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2..._trysaturn.htm

Sick of Mars? Try Saturn
NASA Science News
September 17, 2003

While you're looking at Saturn's rings, consider this: they're a mystery.
Astronomers aren't sure where they came from or how old they are. Some
evidence suggests they formed only a few hundred million years ago--a
time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Before then Saturn might have been
a ring-less planet.

I've posted this several times and so far no-one's responded, and my own
searches haven't found anything.
Who was the British astronomer Arthur Clarke mentions in "2001 A Space
Odyssey" as saying in 1945 that the rings might be only 2 or 3 million
years old ? [Oops. That was a bit convoluted !]
Or was Clarke making it up for the story ?
--
"Forty millions of miles it was from us, more than forty millions of miles of
void"

In message , Ron Baalke
writes
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2..._trysaturn.htm

Sick of Mars? Try Saturn
NASA Science News
September 17, 2003

While you're looking at Saturn's rings, consider this: they're a mystery.
Astronomers aren't sure where they came from or how old they are. Some
evidence suggests they formed only a few hundred million years ago--a
time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Before then Saturn might have been
a ring-less planet.

I've posted this several times and so far no-one's responded, and my own
searches haven't found anything.
Who was the British astronomer Arthur Clarke mentions in "2001 A Space
Odyssey" as saying in 1945 that the rings might be only 2 or 3 million
years old ? [Oops. That was a bit convoluted !]
Or was Clarke making it up for the story ?
--
"Forty millions of miles it was from us, more than forty millions of miles of
void"

David Knisely wrote in message ...
Stephen Astro posted:

THE best time to observe Saturn is fast approaching.

That depends on what one means by the word "fast". Opposition is New Year's Eve!


It also depends on what one considers "best". Opposition is too late if you ask me.

Steve O.

David Knisely wrote in message ...
Stephen Astro posted:

THE best time to observe Saturn is fast approaching.

That depends on what one means by the word "fast". Opposition is New Year's Eve!


It also depends on what one considers "best". Opposition is too late if you ask me.

Steve O.

Steve O. posted:

It also depends on what one considers "best". Opposition is too late if you ask me.

Huh? Opposition is definitely *not* too late. Most people are not in the
situation to access viewing it in the pre-dawn sky. With opposition, Saturn
is up all night, and afterwards, it is definitely more convenient to view for
most people. It is closest to the Earth near opposition and thus will have an
angular diameter (20.9" arc) which is larger than it is currently (its disk
will be over 20" arc in diameter for about a month and a half either side of
opposition). It will be in a good position to view, as from opposition on
towards quadrature, Saturn's declination will be increasing slightly, making
it a good period of observations for observers in the northern hemisphere (it
will transit at over 62 degrees above the horizon for much of the U.S.). In
fact, it will be reasonably good for probably three months either side of the
date of opposition. There is really no "best" time, other than the time when
it will be convenient for the observer to watch it and when it is best placed
for viewing (ie: highest above the horizon). Clear skies to you.
--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

**********************************************
* Attend the 10th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY *
* July 27-Aug. 1st, 2003, Merritt Reservoir *
* http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org *
**********************************************

Steve O. posted:

It also depends on what one considers "best". Opposition is too late if you ask me.

Huh? Opposition is definitely *not* too late. Most people are not in the
situation to access viewing it in the pre-dawn sky. With opposition, Saturn
is up all night, and afterwards, it is definitely more convenient to view for
most people. It is closest to the Earth near opposition and thus will have an
angular diameter (20.9" arc) which is larger than it is currently (its disk
will be over 20" arc in diameter for about a month and a half either side of
opposition). It will be in a good position to view, as from opposition on
towards quadrature, Saturn's declination will be increasing slightly, making
it a good period of observations for observers in the northern hemisphere (it
will transit at over 62 degrees above the horizon for much of the U.S.). In
fact, it will be reasonably good for probably three months either side of the
date of opposition. There is really no "best" time, other than the time when
it will be convenient for the observer to watch it and when it is best placed
for viewing (ie: highest above the horizon). Clear skies to you.
--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

**********************************************
* Attend the 10th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY *
* July 27-Aug. 1st, 2003, Merritt Reservoir *
* http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org *
**********************************************