Where have all the 'gas giants' gone?

An image compiled by Pip Stakkert after Jody McSquint-Fleming found some old video clips from 2015 and 2016. 127mm Meade Refractor, x2.5 Barlow lens and a QHY5v planetary camera (f=2250mm)

 

" The Jodrell Plank Observatory is located at Latitude 52 degrees and 29 minutes North. So we are pretty much 'high up' in the northern hemisphere. For the last few years, the outer planets have been well placed for observation high in the sky for southern hemisphere observers but close to the southern horizon when viewed from the northern hemisphere. The further north the location of the observer the worse the view becomes. The last time Jupiter and Saturn could be  seen through our large refractor was in 2016. When Jupiter, Saturn and Mars come to opposition (in a line with Earth and on the opposite side from the Sun) in the middle in summer, as has been the case over the last few years, the planets appear very low on the southern horizon when viewed from the northern latitudes. 

A further hinderance to imaging from the Jodrell Plank Observatory in May and June is the very long hours of daylight. The Observatory staff spend down time in these months undertaking general maintenance and more specific repairs of scopes, mounts and cameras. Our sponsor Anita Roberts, having made a tidy sum from selling 'cheese scones' made during her 'pre-lockdown Twenty four hour Sconathon' provided the finance for a newly acquired QHY mono camera. We hope to use this camera to obtain stellar, supernovae and cometary spectra. Our instrumentation engineer,Jody McSquint-Fleming, has been hard at work assembling a new spectrometer from what comes to hand.  She has also been refurbishing and sorting out software issues in order that we can utilise the otherwise  redundant QHY5v camera as a guide camera for long exposure imaging with our newer DSLRs and CMOS cameras.

Jody found the video clips, which were used by Pip to create the above image, on a seldom used laptop whilst looking for the original drivers for the QHY5v. When using older bits of kit, it is amazing to note how quickly technology has moved on. The compatibility of  software is often a problem when trying to mix old and new technology.

We believe the above image of Jupiter was captured during a shadow transit of Ganymeade in February 2016.". - Kurt Thrust acting CEO and current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.