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Saturn and beyond ...
Saturn 2011
22.4.11
Saturn with 'dragon storm' in NTrZ
C14 @ F27.5, SKYnyx 2-0M CCD
Seeing 5-6/10; good transparency
Trutek R,B filters Baader UV/IR rejection filter
R[g]B; R = 22:28 UTC, B = 22:34 UTC
22.4.11
Saturn with 'dragon storm' in NTrZ
C14 @ F27.5, SKYnyx 2-0M CCD
Seeing 5-6/10; good transparency
Trutek R filter Baader UV/IR rejection filter
R = 22:53 UTC
22.4.11
Saturn with 'dragon storm' in NTrZ
C14 @ F27.5, SKYnyx 2-0M CCD
Seeing 5-6/10; good transparency
Trutek R filter Baader UV/IR rejection filter
R = 23:44 UTC
25.3.11
Saturn with bright 'storm'
C14 @ F33, Es Reid's spherochromatic correcting lens
SKYnyx 2-0M CCD; seeing 4/10 - 5/10
Trutek R,G,B filters Baader UV/IR rejection filter
RGB; R = 01:01 UTC, G = 01:09 UTC. B = 01:05 UTC
Separate R, G, B shown below.
Saturn 2009-10
STropZ oval seen again in the above images.
STropZ oval discovered by Tomio Akutsu on 6 Mar seen here at
system III long. 18 +/-2 deg. There also appears to be a faint
'storm' of some kind in the EZ, just S of the NEBs near the CM.
The above images through different filters all show the STropZ oval and also seem to show the
faint storm in the EZ, just S of the NEBs. It has a System I longitude of around 13 deg..
STropZ oval discovered by Tomio Akutsu on 6 Mar seen here at system III
long. 16.1 +/- 0.6 deg. This represents a steady positive drift from its
discovery position of System III long. 4 deg. and lat. -41 deg.
Here we now see the oval amongst the colurful belts and zones
in this colour composite.
7.3.10
Rings brighter as opposition (21st March)
approaches.
Apparent angular diameter = 19.4"(equator); altitude = 34 deg.
Seeing poor/fair; transparency good.
RGB various between 23:11 UT and 23:36 UT.
C14 with TV 2x Barlow c. F30; SKYnyx 2-0M CCD; Trutek R,G,B
Baader UV/IR rejection filter
21.2.10
Dione shadow transit faintly visible above ring plane.
Apparent angular diameter = 19.2"(equator); altitude = 35deg.
R = 00:44 UT; G = 01:04 UT; B = 00:53 UT.
C14 @ F38; SKYnyx 2-0M CCD; Trutek R,G,B filters,
Baader UV/IR rejection filter
R channel.
21.12.09
Colourful belts and zones. Rings dim.
Apparent angular diameter = 17.4" (equator); altitude = 38 deg.
Seeing 4/10 and worse. Transparency very variable with
cloud interfering.
R(95%)RGB 06:22UT - 07:12UT)
C14@F27; SKYnyx 2-0M CCD; Trutek R,G,B filters; Baader UV/IR rejection filter
Same image rotated. This to my eye-brain combination
makes the oblate shape of Saturn more apparent and the
belts stand out more too.
Saturn 2008-9
13.4.09
R(80%)RGB. Seeing 5-6/10.
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek RGB; Baader UV/IR rejection.
13.4.09
RGB. Seeing 5-6/10.
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek RGB; Baader UV/IR rejection.
20.3.09
R(80%)RGB (R=23:55, G=24:03, B=23:42) Seeing 5- 6/10.
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek RGB; Baader UV/IR rejection.
20.3.09
RGB (R=23:55, G=24:03, B=23:42) Seeing 5- 6/10.
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek RGB; Baader UV/IR rejection.
1.3.09
R(80%)RGB (R=00:45, G=00:18, B=01:08) Seeing 6-7/10.
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek RGB; Baader UV/IR rejection.
1.3.09
RGB (R=00:45, G=00:18, B=01:08) Seeing 6-7/10.
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek RGB; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Shadow transit of Saturn's moon, Rhea (just 0.24" in angular diameter) ...
22.4.09
RRGB (R=21:35-21:42;G=21:46-21:52;B=21:53-21:56). Seeing 4-5/10.
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek RGB; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Dione in Transit ... just visible!
Upper:
It is just possible to make out the tiny dark shadow on Saturn's moon, Dione
projected onto the cloud tops in the northern hemisphere, immediately below
the dark green/grey belt, slightly left of centre. Its apparent angular diameter
was only 0.16". A white storm is in the southern hemisphere on a similar longitude
may just be seen as a low contrast feature. The rings are inclined at just 0.9 degrees.
Titan is seen to the right (west) of Saturn.
7.12.08 05:54 UT Seeing: moderate Transparency: quite good.
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M CCD; Trutek R,G,B filters and Baader UV/IR rejection filter.
Lower:
The shadow of Dione is now approaching the right (west) limb. There now appears
to be two very low contrast white storms in the southern hemisphere. Titan is seen
to have moved since the previous image.
7.12.08 07:10 UT Seeing: moderate Transparency: quite good.
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M CCD; Trutek R,G,B filters and Baader UV/IR rejection filter..
Saturn 2007-8
A greenish spot in STrZ on Saturn ...
23.4.08
RGB (R 22:20, G 22:13, B 22:06); mediocre seeing and transparency.
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek RGB; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Spot transit time 22:04 UTC +/- 3 mins.
Saturn in very good seeing...
10.2.08
RGB (R 23:19, G 23:28, B 23:38)
C14 @ F27; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek RGB; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Separate Channels:-
R
G
B
Alternative versions ...
The version above shows a hint of the Encke Division
towards the extreme right edge of the rings.
16.11.07 05:42 UT
Occultation of Saturn by the Moon
The image was obtained a few minutes after Saturn had emerged from occultation by 39% phase thick crescent moon.
22.5.07 30cm Meade LX200 SCT @ F25, Lu075M CCD.
 4.4.07
30cm Meade LX200 SCT @ F25, Baader UV/IR blocker filter and Trutek L,R,G,B filters.
Saturn pre-2007
22.1.06 
30cm Meade LX200 @ F25; Lu075M CCD
18.2.06 Rare White Spot on Saturn!
The white spot is caused by ammonia crystals and is several thousands of
kilometres in diameter. These images are not as sharp as I would have liked
as the seeing conditions were mediocre (Pickering 4-5), however, I was
very pleased to have captured this quite rare event.
 22:49 UT
 23:10 UT
Lu075M CCD on 30cm Meade LX200 SCT @ F37 (upper), @ F25 (lower)
Trutek RGB filters, Baader UV/IR blocker
3.4.05
Stack of more than 1,000 .avi video frames for each of the R,
G and B filters. ATK-1HS CCD attached via a x2.5 power mate
to my 30cm Meade LX200 SCT.
1.3.04
Stack of 120 images taken with SXV-H9 CCD and TeleVue 2.5x PowerMate
on my 30cm Meade LX200. The colour information came from images taken
through True Technology Ltd R, G and B filters.
Saturn and satellites about to be occulted by the Moon
on 16th April 2002 ...
Uranus
Uranus and its Moons
Quite a challenge! Here the brightness of Uranus relative to its moons has been substantially reduced
to avoid saturation of the image.
Upper:
21.9.08 00:56 UT (central time for satellite images)
From top to bottom: Umbriel, Ariel, Uranus, Oberon, Titania.
Uranus apparent angular diameter = 3.66".
C14 @ F28: satellite data from SXV-H9 CCD stack of 192 x 2s; Trutek L filter and Baader UV/IR rejection filter binned 4x4
Uranus data from SKYnyx 2-0M CCD with Baader UV/IR rejection filter and Trutek R, G, B filters.
Lower:
31.8.08 01:09 UT (central time for satellite images)
From top to bottom: Titania, Umbriel, Ariel, Uranus.
Uranus apparent angular diameter = 3.66". Seeing Pickering 7+ but poor transparency.
C14 @ F44: SXV-H9 CCD Baader UV/IR rejection filter, Trutek R, G, B filters: R = 14 x 2s, G = 45 x 2s; B = 16 x 2s.
The green with a hint of blue colouration of Uranus
is due to the presence of methane in its atmosphere.
 25.8.07 01:40 UT
C11 @ F40; SXV-H9 CCD; Baader UV/IR blocker;
RGB: R = 112 x 2s; G = 88 x 2s; B = 134 x 2s;
angular diameter = 3.66".
 14th  16th
Above: Not a gas giant, but ... Pluto reveals itself by its motion over a two day
period in July 1999
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