This is pretty much the format I follow except I use Sky Map Pro and after
centering the first planet (usually venus since it is bright enough to see
in my 8x50 finder) I then re-sync the scope. I find the re-sync helps
because the Sun is so big a small centering error seems to be magnified.

Pat Wicker

-----Original Message-----
RonK
Sent: Sun, July 15, 2001 5:27 PM
Subject: Re: [M]: RE: RE: daytime observing


After a fantastic night of observing at LVAAS's Pulpit Rock Observatory
Park,
naer Hamburg, PA, this morning I did some solar observing and planetary
observing. My setup involves an 8" LX200 and laptop computer running Earth
Centered Universe. I typically install the solar filter, slew to the sun,
then
sync ECU to the sun. It's then simple to click on a planet in ECU, slew to
the
object, then remove the solar filter and observe. This morning, Sunday
July
15, I observed:
Jupiter with it's equitorial wind band very prominent,
Saturn, a faint ghostly white, barley visible but planet and ring system
discernable,
Venus, a very brillant cressant, and
Mercury, also brillant but considerably smaller than Venus.
This setup works extremely well and is a major hit with fellow observers who
have never see the planets during the daytime.
Next up is to try and find some of the brighter stars.

RIK at 40N by 76W

Pat Wicker wrote:

> Thank you Peter. When you are new, as I am, just having someone indicate
> you are doing the right things is important. Someday I will compose a
> message telling about my experiences in getting started and how I ended up
> in the MAPUG instead of the Cestron group.
>
> By the way does anyone know why Celestrons are gray and Meades are dark
> blue? I don't either but everytime I brought the Celestron out the sky
> turned gray. I claimed it was not a telescope but a "cloud maker".
>
> Pat Wicker
>
> -----Original Message-----
> peter erdman
> Sent: Fri, July 13, 2001 12:00 PM
> Subject: [M]: RE: daytime observing
>
> Daytime observing can be a lot of fun, but the degree of success is also
> highly
> variable. As Oliver mentions below, a lot depends on the sky. What one
can
> see on two seemingly similar days can be quite different--at least at my
sea
> level location (Daytona Beach, FL). I very much doubt that an 8" has any
> disadvantage since there is plenty of "signal" . It is the contrast of
the
> object with the sky that is important.
>
> The first few times I tried, I was able to locate Jupiter, Saturn,
Mercury,
> and
> any star brighter than magnitude 3.3 that was above ~45deg elevation
angle.
> A
> good alignment is essential to place the object inside the field of view.
> Two
> other things help---high magnification (~300x) and using a dew shield used
> as a
> sun shade. The higher power gives you better contrast against the sky.
> The
> sun shade baffles the corrector plate from direct solar
illumination--which
> will scatter from all the dust on the corrector and destroy the viewing.
>
> The scope must be already focused before trying to find any dim object.
> Find
> Venus or the moon first and refine the focus. Out of focus stars are
> impossible to see against the bright sky. I've never tried any filters,
> but
> the redder stars are easier against the blue sky.
>
> Be careful with the sun, use good sense. Don't even think of moving
inside
> 10deg from it, the scattered light won't let you see anything anyway.
>
> Lots of fun. Very strange to see Saturn in the daytime. Rather
ghost-like
> with the rings appearing and disappearing as faint haze moves by. Mercury
> becomes a common object rather than something observable only on special
> occasions.
>
> Last weekend I tried again, and couldn't find anything except Venus and
> Sirius. The sky looked reasonably clear, but obviously wasn't. The only
> moral
> here is "keep looking up."
>
> Peter
>
> ------------------------------
> Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 08:28:42 -0400
> Subject: Re: [M]: RE: daytime observing
> Pat Wicker wrote:
> > I have an 8" LX200 and have been able to find Venus, Mercury, Jupiter,
and
> > Saturn in the daytime repeatedly. I have yet to be able to find any
stars.
> > Is an 8" too small or do I just need to try some more?
> >
> > Pat Wicker
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > Lawrence Harris
> > Sent: Fri, June 01, 2001 6:21 AM
> > Subject: [M]: daytime observing
> >
> >
> I guess it may depend on just how good your sky is at your location.
> The South Pole Optical Telescope (SPOT) was a 3 inch telescope operated
> for 4 years at the South Pole. I did all the alignment testing on
> bright stars, primarily Canopus, in the daytime since I did not want to
> have to stay for the 9 month winter closed season.
> - --
> John Oliver
> Astronomy Department
> University of Florida
> ------------------------------
> Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 08:19:59 -0500
> Subject: RE: [M]: RE: daytime observing
> I have the 8" LX200 f6.3 and have seen Arcturus, and a couple other bright
> ones (Sirius?, or was it Vega?) during a clear blue summer sky at
Astrofest
> a couple years ago. We tried some other stars of varying magnitude, but I
> think Mag 1 or so was the faintest we could pick out (give or take).
> We didn't try any colored or polarizing filters. Don't know if that might
> help or not.
> It can be done....
> Anthony J. Kroes
> Green Bay, WI

View index by [date] [author] [subject]
Previous message: [M]: Re: Re: Coordinates (was: long rant), Rebel PPC
Next message: [M]: Re: Re: Controlling Streetlights with Laser, Andy Wallace
Next message in thread: [M]: RE: RE: daytime observing, peter erdman
Previous message in thread: Re: [M]: RE: RE: daytime observing, RonK