Forumchem - Forum with AI(ALICE BOT & HAL9000) and TTS

So I just upgraded to an 11" Schmidt Cassegrain this Christmas (amazing extent) from a 70mm refractor. I"ve been itching to see Saturn for the past couple days now, but obviously it"s not visible at 10 pm. What time should I wake up tonight (Tuesday) to get a good dogma of Saturn?

The place from where I"m viewing (my bedroom) has a perfect window to the southern sky, but I don"t want the exact time when Saturn will actually be visible on the horizon, just when it will appear in the middle of the sky, for perfect viewing.

My location is New Jersey.

Thanks!

Hey dude, nice scope! Just a heads up, your view wont be that great through a window. I know its cold, but you may have to head outside. The best time to view Saturn in New Jersey would be anywhere from 5:00 AM- 6:00 AM. It all just depends how obstructed your horizon is. Good luck and clear skies!

You can look up the sky chart at http://www.heaven-above.com
Just specify your location, and put in differen hours of the morning.

Saturn rises around 12:30 AM, so anytime after 2:30 or 3 AM would be good. The extra time allow Saturn to rise high enoujh above the horizon for good telescopic view.

Use Stellarium and fast forward the time

You have a good view of the southern sky.
That may be a problem.
The sun, moon and planets all rise in the East and set in the west.
So you need a good view of the horizon to the east.

Saturn is bright enough to see through window glass, but why not open it.
But looking out of a window gives you a very limited range of vision.

The trouble for you is that an 11 inch scope is not very portable.
Many amateur astronomers create an attic on their roof with a 360 degree view.
I think you aught to consider that.

Your telescope wont work well if youre looking through window glass.

Saturns up just before dawn, near Spica and the Moon.

At present Saturn rise in the east around 12:45 a.m. in New Jersey, but if your window face south, it wont be well placed until close to dawn. It will be due south around 6:30 a.m. By the way, observing with a telescope out a window will not work very well because of vibrations from your house and heat escaping from the window. It may have been OK with a 70mm, but will be really poor with an 11-inch. Astronomy i really an outdoor hobby!