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[patrickm]

Let's see Jupiter do...THIS! Dig the subtle, pastel banding doing on, especially north of the equator.

Many Colors, Many Moons from NASA/Cassini

The coloration of the planet's northern hemisphere has changed noticeably since the Cassini spacecraft's arrival in orbit in mid-2004. Imaging scientists are working to understand the causes of this change, which is suspected to be a seasonal effect.

Giant Titan (5,150 kilometers, or 3,200 miles across), with its darker winter hemisphere, dominates the smaller moons in the scene. Beneath and left of Titan is Janus (181 kilometers, or 113 miles across). Mimas (397 kilometers, or 247 miles across) appears as a bright dot close to the planet and beneath the rings. Prometheus (102 kilometers, or 63 miles across) is a faint speck hugging the rings between the two small moons.

This view looks toward the unilluminated side of the rings from less than a degree above the ringplane.

Images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters were combined to create this natural color view. The view was acquired with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Oct. 26, 2007, at a distance of approximately 1.5 million kilometers (920,000 miles) from Saturn and 2.7 million kilometers (1.7 million miles) from Titan. Image scale is 89 kilometers (55 miles) per pixel on Saturn and 164 kilometers (102 miles) per pixel on Titan.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.

Four moons huddle near Saturn's multi-hued disk.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

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[Paulie pchris00]

I'm arguing strictly from the point of visually observing with telescopes less than 12" of aperture. From orbit, both systems provide extraordinary views and images. Saturn may even have the edge from orbit. However, mostly by default of being twice as close, Jupiter provides the average backyard astronomer with more to observe. In the Cloudy Nights discussion you provided a link to earlier, one post made the argument that Saturn is more of a challenge, and more rewarding because of the challenge. I can accept that, but I still think Jupiter offers more to the average observer. I have yet to see any of Saturn's moons transit the disk, whereas I have seen two Galilean Satellites transiting at the same time on multiple occasions. I reiterate my comment that Saturn's serpent storm is not easy to visually observe, especially in smaller telescopes. The Great Red Spot can be observed in small telescopes. And although I have not directly observed it, let's not forget that sometimes the Galilean Moons occult EACH OTHER.

I love observing Saturn, and will never neglect viewing it, but Jupiter (again, mostly by virtue of being closer) offers most backyard observers more dynamics on display.

[Paulie pchris00]

Okay, these are very crude videos, made by the simplest (and cheapest) of digital technology, but I would like to use them to illustrate my point that Jupiter has to offer.

First we have Jupiter. With nothing more than a point and shoot camera pressed to the eyepiece, banding is evident. So are all four large moons. The Great Red Spot is difficult to see in the video, but the full resolution images show it fairly well.




And now we have Saturn. Rings are visible, but no banding (although the banding was evident by visually observing). Also, there are no moons present in the video. Just Saturn and it's icy rings.




Maybe it's not fair that I am using my own (very) low quality videos, but I can capture much more in the Jovian system than the Saturnian system. Although when I am observing visually I can detect more on Saturn than my cameras will capture, the same is true for Jupiter.

Also, I will add that the beauty of the ring system distracts novices from looking for visible dynamics on Saturn that might be within their telescope's reach.

And while Cassini sends us pretty images from Saturnian orbit, this summer we will have a craft heading for the Jovian system, and in a few years we will be getting mindblowing images of Jupiter and it's complement of moons.

I have spent hours at a time observing the Jovian system, watching it change, seeing moons disappear, then reappear, noticing as GRS comes into view and crosses the disk. I have spent hours watching our Moon as the terminator sweeps across it's surface, watching mountaintops either become illuminated before their bases, or remaining visible after the base has fallen into darkness. Saturn doesn't have the ability to keep my attention for hours at a time. I could track Titan and it's other moons, but while I'm waiting for those moons to move through their orbits, there isn't much happening to keep my mind occupied. Observing by myself, Jupiter will always get more time in my telescopes.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Paulie is a Jovian junkie.

[patrickm]

OK, then we're all agreed then.

Which is more awesome? Saturn

Which does Paulie like looking at more? Jupiter.

There. Settled.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

And not a single Uranus reference.

Classy upscale astronomers.

[RobbW]

I leave the Uranus jokes for my wife. She's always asking if I found it whenever I come in from an observing session.

[Paulie pchris00]

Saturn might be the more awesome planet, but it's far away to observe well with medium size scopes.

[patrickm]

Paulie wrote:

Apr 20, 2011 19:03:40 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Saturn might be the more awesome planet

TY.

[RobbW]

FYI Uranus beats out both Saturn and Jupiter!!!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Uranus is forever prolapsed on it's side.

[Paulie pchris00]

Apr 22, 2011 15:20:31 GMT -6 patrickm said:

Paulie wrote:

Apr 20, 2011 19:03:40 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Saturn might be the more awesome planet

TY.

Mr. Monaghan, if you quote me out of context again, your open invitation to Conway Observatory will be revoked.

[patrickm]

Apr 29, 2011 14:20:58 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Apr 22, 2011 15:20:31 GMT -6 patrickm said:

Paulie wrote:


TY.

Mr. Monaghan, if you quote me out of context again, your open invitation to Conway Observatory will be revoked.

dja get the roof shut yet?

[Paulie pchris00]

Apr 30, 2011 23:26:37 GMT -6 patrickm said:

Apr 29, 2011 14:20:58 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Mr. Monaghan, if you quote me out of context again, your open invitation to Conway Observatory will be revoked.

dja get the roof shut yet?

Okay wiseguy. It was opening the roof that gave me a problem, and yes, I got it open. Sometimes the winch just stops and you have to cycle the breakers.

Freaked me out though.

[patrickm]

I will not be surprised if you just punch me in the face the next time you see me.

[Paulie pchris00]

I would not do that, especially if we're in the city. I don't want to spend any time in Cook County Jail.

[patrickm]

You think a punch in the face will land you in Cook Co?!? Man, you must be from Indiana...

[Paulie pchris00]

Well, we have Chicago's finest in attendance frequently...

You make being from Indiana sound even worse than it already is...

[patrickm]

May 3, 2011 18:24:14 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Well, we have Chicago's finest in attendance frequently...

And they would most likely tell you, "Hey, knock it off." You have to be pretty stupid to get hauled down. A good natured donnybrook would likely not tip the scale toward Paperwork.

You make being from Indiana sound even worse than it already is...

How? I just said you ain't from the Big City is all. Nothing disparaging bout the fine state.

[Paulie pchris00]

May 3, 2011 19:19:26 GMT -6 patrickm said:

You make being from Indiana sound even worse than it already is...

How? I just said you ain't from the Big City is all. Nothing disparaging bout the fine state.

We have Mitch Daniels as Governor, and probably Mike Pence as our next governor. If that happens, it might be time to head west to just about any state other than Utah.

[Paulie pchris00]

Btw, I want everybody to know that Saturn looked absolutley AMAZING in Patrick's scope Wednesday night. For now I can only guess how great Jupiter will look in that scope.

[patrickm]

May 6, 2011 12:32:56 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Btw, I want everybody to know that Saturn looked absolutley AMAZING in Patrick's scope Wednesday night. For now I can only guess how great Jupiter will look in that scope.

It did look AMAZING—I am still high from it—and I have been wondering the same thing. We will have to see this summer again with another six planet night!