On 22 Jan 2013, at 17:37, Chuck Hards wrote:
I assume you mean the Galilean satellites? Or does the S&T app ID every single one of them (assuming you have a monster telescope, and even then you can't see them all)? I haven't checked it out.
I have not downloaded it yet so I don't know which they ID. With today's larger telescope it would be handy if they showed more than just the Galiliean.
For the old-fashioned among us who would rather hold a book than a smartphone or tablet, the Observer's Handbook lists times of the Galilean satellite's phenomenon (transits, eclipses, etc.) that makes ID pretty easy.
You sound like me back when I was first introduced to astroimaging. Didn't like it at all. I thought it was like looking at a pixelated picture on TV. "I'll stick with film!", I used to say. And now look at what's in my observatory. While my poor, forlorn darkroom sits spotless, tidy...and unused for years. I agree that paper still has a place for some things. Though that list is shrinking. But I love the ability to pull out my iPad or MacBook right there at the scope and instantly show folks at the telescope an annotated diagram of what they are looking at at that very moment. And by sliding my finger across the screen to show how the satellites move over time. That's so much better (at least for me) than opening a book and mentally trying to first determine what is where and then trying to convey verbally to the observers what they are seeing. But, I suppose that it wont be long before even that seems quaint. By then one will look in the eyepiece to see the image live and then with the push of a button have tiny text and arrows appear indicating the names of each of the satellites being observed. Heck, with that you could even have it say "watch here" and moments later see one of the satellites come out of eclipse right where the arrow was pointing. Ok, time to open the observatory. If the past several nights are any indication, I've got maybe an hour or two before the gunk gets too thick to get good data through. patrick