Wandering Saturn
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Saturn is very prominent in the
skies this January, February, and March, but it doesn't stay put.
The images above were taken November 14, 2004 (left) and January 18,
2005 (right) by pointing the digital camera at the area of the sky and
making about 10 15 sec time exposure images. The images for each
date were "stacked" or "co-added", then the two images for the two
dates were "registered" so that the main stars line-up. Notice
that Saturn is noticably further to the right in the later image when
compared with the Gemini bright stars: Castor and Pollux. Planet
is the Greek word for "wanderer". As can be seen above, Saturn
"wanders" among the stars.
The two images are "blinked" below. Blinking is a technique astronomers often use to look for small changes in an object by comparing images of two different nights. The stars are matched-up and the images are aligned, then displayed in quick succession. Blinking, once very difficult and expensive, is now quite simple with the tools and software of digital photography.
Blinked images (Nov. 14, 2004; Jan. 18, 2005)
The whole sequence from Oct. 15, 2004 to Feb. 11, 2005 is shown in the animated image below. (Large file: 158 kbytes).
Animated sequence (Oct. 2004 - Feb. 2005)
The two images are "blinked" below. Blinking is a technique astronomers often use to look for small changes in an object by comparing images of two different nights. The stars are matched-up and the images are aligned, then displayed in quick succession. Blinking, once very difficult and expensive, is now quite simple with the tools and software of digital photography.
Blinked images (Nov. 14, 2004; Jan. 18, 2005)
The whole sequence from Oct. 15, 2004 to Feb. 11, 2005 is shown in the animated image below. (Large file: 158 kbytes).
Animated sequence (Oct. 2004 - Feb. 2005)
Saturn will be prominent in Gemini
until April, 2005.
Webcam image wtih telescope. D. Collins, February, 2003
Webcam image wtih telescope. D. Collins, February, 2003