Hello all.  Well, I have spent the last month or so (my first with the hobby) familiarizing myself with the spring sky.  Alas Saturn is beginning to leave me (I usually gaze from 10PM to midnight and it's starting to fall in the western sky now) and I am looking down the road and noticed that Jupiter and Neptune will be overhead between 10PM and midnight later summer and early fall.

 So my question is..will I be able to see Jupiter if I am able to see Saturn in my scope?  I assume neptune is a lost cause for my 5" tasco reflector but I can see Saturn well so will I be able to see Jupiter?  I assumed so because it looks to be about 20% larger and slightly closer but was not certain.

Jupiter will be very good.  You should see equatorial bands as well as the red spot.  If you see Neptune, it will probably be only a point of light like a star, but with a nice color to it.

You should be able to see Neptune in your 5". I use a 6 inch newtonian for most of my obsreving. (Then 10 inch is back breaker). The secret is a good finder chart. I will update the one on my blog when I get home tonite. http://orionbackyardobservatory.blogspot.com/

 Hmmm...Its been awhile since I've updated that page..Guess I betteer get on the stick.

BrianC

Actually, if you get up before dawn right now, Jupiter is nearly overhead!! As a bonus, point the scope east and get a gaze at Venus!

Location, location, location as the realtors like to say.  Jupiter is currently culminating at an altitude of approximately 36 degrees from my latitude of a bit more than 40.2 degrees north.

Dave Mitsky

 Wow I can't wait... I have a 8" scope and all I have been able to see so far is CLOUDS.. wow has it been cloudy this spring/early summer. After getting my very first peek at Saturn we have since been under almost nightly cloud cover. But the other morning before dawn I woke up and noticed the skies were clear... looking towards the SE I saw what I believe to have been Jupiter.. Would it appear very large to the naked eye? And how well would I see it through a nice set of binocs? Thanks in advance...

Jeff

Just before dawn Jupiter would be very high in the southeast, and very bright.  Through binos you'll be able to see that the planet is a disc (rather than a point of light like a star) and you'll be able to spot the four Galilean moons.

Have fun.

Jupiter has not been favorably positioned for northern hemisphere observers the past couple of years.  The finder chart at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mjpowell/Astro/Naked-Eye-Planets/Jupiter-Path.htm reveals how far south of the celestial equator Jupiter is and has been. 

Scroll to near the bottom of that page for the diagram portraying the zenith and the horizon in angular measure.  Keep in mind that when Jupiter culminates (i.e., reaches its highest point in the sky) it is only about 35 degrees above the horizon from a latitude of 40 degrees north.

Dave Mitsky

Gee whiz, how far north are you guys??? I'm outside of Raliegh NC at around 35 Lat and I see it way up in the morning sky right now!

Take a look at the transit altitude table at the link I provided.  At opposition on August 14, when Jupiter transits the meridian (i.e., when it culminates) it is only 34.8 degrees in altitude (only a little more than 1/3 of the distance from the horizon to the zenith) from latitude 40 degrees north and 44.8 degrees in altitude from latitude 30 degrees north.

Dave Mitsky

I have 10" dob f/5

Jupiter for me is too bright. If any, can I see the red spot in Jupiter ?

Can I see the disc of Neptune ? (I can not make sure Neptune is star shape or disc shape thru my telescope).

You should be able to see the Great Red Spot on Jupiter in your 10" dob.  Remember, however, that it rotates with the planet, so it is not always on the side facing Earth.  There is a handy utility on Sky & Telescope's website which can tell you when the GRS will be visible from your location.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/s?action=login&rurl=http://www.skyandtelescope.com/

Also, remember that the Red Spot isn't very red these days.  It is more of a faded pink, or salmon color making it a bit harder to spot.

Ming:

Can I see the disc of Neptune ? (I can not make sure Neptune is star shape or disc shape thru my telescope).

It takes very high magnification, and good seeing to make out Neptune's disc.  The best way to distinguish Neptune is by its characteristic blue color which will be apparent in your scope.

Good luck

Probably a dumb question but you have never chastised the noob yet so I'll give it a shot.

Under which of the following circumstances are objects like Neptune and Jupiter best visible:

• With no moon in the sky (thus creating more darkeness for them to pop)
• With some moon in the sky (as to create some light but not too much)
• With a full moon in the sky 

Just wasn't sure.  Didn't seem to matter much for me with Saturn...but I cannot recall what the moon was like when I saw it.

fishacura:

Under which of the following circumstances are objects like Neptune and Jupiter best visible:

• With no moon in the sky (thus creating more darkeness for them to pop)
• With some moon in the sky (as to create some light but not too much)
• With a full moon in the sky 

The answer would have to be with no moon.  Darker is always better.

Hello fishcura,.,no ? is a dumb ?,.,to ask is to learn,.,.,as chuck said ,.,dark is best.,.,as for Jupiter ,it is quite bright .,.even with the moon.,.,but perhaps showing less detail.,cloud bands ect,.even with the moon bright the four larger moons of Jupiter are easy to see.,.,Neptune however is not so easy.,.,i looked this morning with about 75x mag.,,and could see something where i knew Neptune to be ,.but only with averted vision,.,and even then things looked to dim to really comfirm,.., anyway to answer your ? the darker the sky,., the better you to see with.,..good gazin.,.,O+O

Moonlight doesn't really hinder observations of the bright planets very much and may actually help somewhat to reduce glare by stopping down the observer's pupil.  However, for Uranus and Neptune a dark sky is the ticket.

Dave Mitsky