Saturn Through the Lens: A First Glimpse from the UK
Recently, I managed to capture my first image of Saturn! It's always an exciting moment when a celestial object starts to become more visible in our night sky, and Saturn is no exception. While the naked eye offers a clear view of the planet, and I could even make out its moon Titan, the resulting photograph is admittedly not the clearest.
As of 23:50 on August 5th, 2025, Saturn was only about 14 degrees above the horizon in the South East of the UK. This low altitude likely contributed to the image quality, as the light has to travel through more of Earth's turbulent atmosphere. The conditions were "???" as noted, so I'm eager to try again when the sky is clearer and Saturn is higher up.
Equipment Used:
- Camera: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Telescope: BRESSER Messier 6" Planetary Dobson Telescope
- Mirror/Lens Diameter: 150mm
- Focal Length: 1200mm
Acquisition Details:
- Date & Time: 23:50, August 5th, 2025
- Location: South East, UK
- Altitude: 14° above the horizon
- Image Type: Raw image, no stacking performed.
This is just the beginning of my journey into capturing the wonders of the night sky. I'm excited to learn more about astrophotography techniques and improve my images with future observations!
