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This summer I gazed at Saturn through an inexpensive telescope my dad found at an antique store. The image was tiny, and rather black-and-white, but the rings w

by gdubs 7y ago

This summer I gazed at Saturn through an inexpensive telescope my dad found at an antique store. The image was tiny, and rather black-and-white, but the rings were sharp and unmistakable. Despite the lack of resolution, it was one of the most magical things I’ve seen. Seeing Jupiter and its moons was pretty great too.

jcims 7y ago
Such a cool feeling isn't it? Never forget the first time I saw those rings in person through a cheap telescope. It somehow places you in the same universe you've only read about till then.
kashyapc 7y ago
Some three years ago, I had the exact same experience—except that it was a high-end telescope at the observatory, with an equatorial mount and all other gear. I was mesmerized enough that I did a silly thing: pointed my Nexus 5's camera towards the telescope's eye piece to capture a hint of the Saturn. And ever since it's been my phone's wallpaper. That's[1] the result. It's an understatement to say "it's nowhere near as sharp", but you can clearly see the shape of the rings there. Another favourite of mine is the stunning blue-gold double star, Albireo[2]. Both the smaller blue star and the larger gold star are very distinct. Absolutely recommend it. [1] http://kashyapc.fedorapeople.org/Saturn_through_Nexus_5.jpg http://kashyapc.fedorapeople.org/Saturn_through_Nexus_5.jpg [2] https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/albireo-finest-double-star https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/albireo-finest-double-s...
hazeii 7y ago
I was reminded of the same thing this summer, dragging an old telescope out to show Saturn to my son (for the first time). He was so excited to see a 'cartoon planet' for real, it gave my indifference to what you can see in a small telescope a sharp readjustment.
tabtab 7y ago
My grandmother bought me a 60mm (main lens) telescope as a young teen. After a few nights of gazing, I learned how to spot things I hadn't seen at first, like the belts of Jupiter, and parts of the Orion nebula I hadn't before. The more practice the more you can see. I found it odd one had to "learn to see", but it's usually the case.

by gdubs 7y ago

jcims 7y ago

Such a cool feeling isn't it? Never forget the first time I saw those rings in person through a cheap telescope. It somehow places you in the same universe you've only read about till then.

kashyapc 7y ago

Some three years ago, I had the exact same experience—except that it was a high-end telescope at the observatory, with an equatorial mount and all other gear. I was mesmerized enough that I did a silly thing: pointed my Nexus 5's camera towards the telescope's eye piece to capture a hint of the Saturn. And ever since it's been my phone's wallpaper. That's[1] the result. It's an understatement to say "it's nowhere near as sharp", but you can clearly see the shape of the rings there. Another favourite of mine is the stunning blue-gold double star, Albireo[2]. Both the smaller blue star and the larger gold star are very distinct. Absolutely recommend it. [1] http://kashyapc.fedorapeople.org/Saturn_through_Nexus_5.jpg http://kashyapc.fedorapeople.org/Saturn_through_Nexus_5.jpg [2] https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/albireo-finest-double-star https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/albireo-finest-double-s...

hazeii 7y ago

I was reminded of the same thing this summer, dragging an old telescope out to show Saturn to my son (for the first time). He was so excited to see a 'cartoon planet' for real, it gave my indifference to what you can see in a small telescope a sharp readjustment.

tabtab 7y ago

My grandmother bought me a 60mm (main lens) telescope as a young teen. After a few nights of gazing, I learned how to spot things I hadn't seen at first, like the belts of Jupiter, and parts of the Orion nebula I hadn't before. The more practice the more you can see. I found it odd one had to "learn to see", but it's usually the case.