Monthly Archives: July 2017

• 1. Overview
• 2. Saturn - The Basics
• 3. The Rings of Saturn
• 4. Saturn's Moons
• 5. Saturn Observing Tips
• 6. The Best Telescopes for Observing Saturn
• 7. Eyepieces and Accessories for Observing Saturn
• 8. Summary

1. Overview

Many casual observers get hooked on amateur astronomy after a first look at Saturn through a telescope. To most observers, Saturn is an incredibly beautiful sight. The color, the proportions, the apparent 3D perspective of this grand icy world make it arguably the finest sight accessible with a small telescope, and many stargazers look forward to its frequent oppositions when the planet makes its closest approach to Earth. This article helps you understand what to see on and around the planet Saturn, and it gives you some tips for choosing and using the best equipment to see this ringed planet.

2. Saturn – The Basics

• 1. Overview - The Need for Autoguiding
• 2. Options for Autoguiding
• 3. Aperture and Focal Length of a Guide Scope
• 4. Mounting a Guide Scope
• 5. Some Recommended Guide Scopes
• 6. Cameras for Autoguiding with a Guide Scope
• 7. Putting It All Together
• 8. Summary

1. Overview - The Need for Autoguiding

A good equatorial mount is a must-have for astrophotography. But even the best equatorial mount will have some mechanical imperfections, resulting in tracking errors that lead to slightly elongated star images.In many mounts, the predictable periodic error in the right ascension motion can be manually corrected to some degree. However, imperfections in the gears, slight deviations in perpendicularity between the RA and declination axes, and mechanical play in the bearings can all contribute to additional errors that lead to elongated stars and smeared