Saturn & Mars close pairing 10th July 08

Did anyone observe or image this pairing last night?
It milled rain here

Clouded out for me too Frank - I'd hoped to get it too as it should have been possible to get both in a telescope field with Saturn showing its rings.

very heavily clouded in Dublin 15

Steve

Hi,

Anyway, it was not too much to get excited about. At mid-twilight they were only 3 to 4 degrees above the horizon. Even at the end of civil twilight only 8 to 9 degrees high, and Mars was only magnitude +1.6 (16 times fainter than what it was at opposition last December)

John

(16 times fainter than what it was at opposition last December)
John

Thats some drop in Mag.
Still, it's nice to see them so close I think.

(16 times fainter than what it was at opposition last December)
John

Thats some drop in Mag.
Still, it's nice to see them so close I think.

I think what you meant was would have been nice to see them Frank :lol:

This is the kind of thing that made me never seriously consider getting a scope till last year. If some astronomical sight is an event ie. once in a blue moon event if you'll pardon the pun . We are guaranteed cloud.

Conjunction....cloudy...occultation....cloudy....meteor shower.....cloudy....Eclipse....cloudy....ISS pass....cloudy.

Thankfully I realised that the window for viewing the planets and DSO's was months long however and one was bound to get some clear nights during that period.....though going on this year I am starting to wonder about that too!