Saturn

0200 UTC: Happy New Year! Clear and not-so-cold at dusk, a perfect night to do what I've been putting off for months - observe Saturn.

Last Sunday, the night after Christmas (Dec. 27 UTC), the Moon, Gemini and Saturn were closely grouped. At the store Harry Musc mentioned that he saw "three planets and the Moon lined up the other night." So I corrected him (not three planets, just one, plus Castor and Pollux), and showed him what he saw with Starry Night Pro:

Castor, Pollux, Moon & Saturn
27 Dec 2005 , 0200 UTC
Naked eye view (West at right)

Flash forward to tonight, New Year's Day. Around 9pm (local) I set up the TV85 on a freshly cleared deck. Orion rises in over the hills, Saturn is moving ahead (west) of Gemini, while the Moon has long since left the stage, not to appear above horizon for another 4 hours or so. Should be perfect.

Not. I go back inside for a few minutes, and when I return to the scope... clouds. I bitch and moan, but wait it out. Eventually it clears enough to give a try, first with the 13mm Vixen LVW @ 46x (small, but ring very apparent) then with the 8mm LVW @ 75x (Titan jumps out, rings very defined). Adding the 2.5x TV Barlow bumped magnification up to 187.5x, but poor seeing conditions made aiming difficult and focusing damn near impossible.

Saturn and moons, 02 Jan 2005, 0200 UTC
TV-85 view (West at left)
Approximate view with Vixen 8mm LVW

Saturn and moons, 02 Jan 2005, 0200 UTC
TV-85 view (West at left)

The cloud break didn't last long. Eventually a thin veil moved in from the northwest, and I broke down for the night. But it was nice to see my old friend after so many years - last written observation of Saturn dated Dec 26, 1994 (ten years and a week). Seeing Titan and knowing that the Huygens probe is on it's way made it kind of special, in the same way that I felt seeing Jupiter rise above the wall at Mom's during the summer of 1994, knowing that Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was about to smash into it. Doesn't really look any different, but it kind of makes it special nonetheless.