Saturn 1990's Images



1 second exposure, Fuji Provia 1600 slide film.
14" f/11 schmidt-cassegrain telescope plus a 7mm eyepiece.
September 28, 1994.

In 1995, the Earth again passed through the plane of Saturn's rings. On that occassion I was able to take some photographs exactly when the Earth was in the ring plane. All that is visible of the rings is a thin dark line. This is the shadow of the rings on the planet.


2 seconds exposure, Kodak Ektachrome 400 slide film.
12.5" f/6 newtonian telescope plus a 15mm eyepiece.

After the ring-plane crossing the southern side of the rings and the south pole of the planet were visible and would remain so until the next ring-plane crossing in about 2009.


1 second exposure, Fuji Super HG V 400 film.
300mm f/18 cassegrain telescope at prime focas.
November, 1998.


3 second exposure, Fuji Super HG V 400 film.
300mm f/18 cassegrain telescope plus a 2x barlow lens.
November, 1998.


0.01 second exposure SBIG ST-4 CCD.
300mm f/18 cassegrain at prime focus.


Combination of 6, 0.01 second exposures.
SBIG ST-4 CCD, 300mm f/18 cassegrain at prime focus.

These images of Saturn were taken on December 22, 1998, using an ST-4 in imaging mode. Not a lot of detail is visible, partly due to the large pixels of the ST-4 and partly due to poor seeing. The Cassini division is just visible as is an equatorial belt, the bright equatorial zone, and the shadow of the rings on the planet.


December 18, 1999. Combination of 2, 0.25 second exposures. Meade 416xt CCD.
8" f/6 newtonian with a 2x barlow lens.


Same image as the above but with the levels stretched to show several of the moons. From left to right they are: Rhea, Tethys, Enceladus and Dione.