Objects - Planets

Obects & Observing Tips:

Planets - General

[image from NASA website]

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Planet Mnemonic: My Very Excellent Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas
(in other versions, mothers are "educated," and they may send pies rather than pizzas.)

Planet Facts
Planet	Distance from Sun (million mi)	Rel.Dist. from Sun	Orbit	Rotation (Days)	Diam (mi)	Relative Diameter	Model
Sun	-	-	-	25	?	-	-
Mercury	36	1/3	88 d	59	3,000	1	marble
Venus	67	2/3	225 d	243	7,600	2.5	tennis ball
Earth	93	1	365 d	1	7,900	2.7	baseball
Mars	142	1.5	687 d	1	4,200	1.4	pingpong ball
Jupiter	483	5	12 y	0.4	88,000	30	Hoberman fully extended
Saturn	886	10	29 y	0.5	75,000	25	Hoberman partially extended
Uranus	1,783	20	84 y	0.7	32,000	11	four square ball
Neptune	2,795	30	165 y	0.7	31,000	10	four square ball
Pluto	3,670	40	248 y	6	1,400	0.5	marble/steely

[A Hoberman sphere is a science toy; if anyone has another useful item that would fit in, please share!

Data sources: Nine Planets Multimedia Tour Website, NASA planets website

Observing Planets:
(see also the notes for specific planets)

Use a high power eyepiece (e.g., 7mm, 9mm, 24mm) to observe detail on planets.
Colored filters may help bring out planetary features.
The 4" refractors may give sharper (though smaller) images than the 24" reflector.
(Planets are bright - the "light-bucket" isn't really necessary.)
Because you are viewing a tiny bit of sky when using high power, on any telescope without a powered equatorial mount, the planet will go sailing out of view very quickly; you will need to reset for each visitor.
Also, when using high power on the 24" reflector, the "bounciness" of the tower will be exacerbated, making it hard to get good looks in our biggest scope.

(Evening) Planet Locations 2004
	Venus	Mars	Jupiter	Saturn	Uranus	Neptune
1/15/04 (8 pm)	-	Pisces	-	Gemini
2/15/04 (9 pm)	Pisces	Aries	Leo	Gemini
3/15/04 (9 pm)	Aries	Taurus	Leo	Gemini
4/15/04 (9 pm)	Taurus	Taurus	Leo	Gemini
5/15/04 (10 pm)	Taurus	Gemini	Leo	Gemini
6/15/04 (10 pm)	-	Gemini	Leo	-
7/15/04 (10 pm)	-	-	Leo	-
8/15/04 (9 pm)	-	-	-	-	Aquarius	Capricorn
9/15/04 (9 pm)	-	-	-	-	Aquarius	Capricorn
10/15/04 (9 pm)	-	-	-	-	Aquarius	Capricorn
11/15/04 (8 pm)	-	-	-	-	Aquarius	Capricorn
12/15/04 (8 pm)	-	-	-	Gemini	Aquarius

Data sources:
Pasachoff, Jay M. and Alex Filippenko. The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millenium, 2004.
Heavens-Above interactive sky charts (www.heavens-above.com)

Websites for Information on Planets / Solar System:

For current planet rise/set times: Heavens-Above; choose "Planet Summary Data"

For chart of the planets' current relative positions: Heavens-Above; choose "Solar System Chart"

For transit time of Jupiter's Red Spot: skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_107_1.asp

Nine Planets Multimedia Tour www.nineplanets.org (Bill Arnett)

Mythology: try Windows to the Universe (www.windows.ucar.edu); "Myths" link.

Visual Satellite Observers website: www.satobs.org/satintro.html