TELESCOPE TIPS
5
TELESCOPES & ASTRONOMY
BACKYARD VIEWING
PLANETS
The most detail will be seen as you study the image as it moves across the field of view. Every now and then the atmosphere will go nearly perfectly clear to allow the planet to give away more of it's features. If your telescope allows it, adding a motor drive is a great assistance to viewing the planets. Using a motor drive means the telescope will stay perfectly still while the viewer waits for the atmosphere to go still. This is better than waiting for the telescope to stop moving every time after re-positioning it when the planet has moved.
After a windy cold front goes through in Westen Australia, South Australia or Victoria, the ground is left cold, smog pollutions get blown away and dry winds are dragged in behind the front. This is a good time to observe.
Although summer is the most enjoyable time to observe the night sky, the cold of winter prevents heat fluctuations. Astronomy isn't physically active so you must rug up extra warm for the best viewing during winter.
IMPROVEMENTS
If you have an Astronomy 2004 handy, it tells you how big the angular diameter of the planets will be. Look for it's biggest diameter as the size has a big influence on what can be seen.
The planets are bright, so they don't really need a lot of light gathering. This means it does not necessarily mean it has to be dark when observing them. If there're in a good position during dusk or dawn, keep observing.
