Choosing A Telescope
Telescope Aperture Considerations
Introduction to Planetary Sketching
Refractor Dobsonian Style Mounts
The Bonds: Pioneers of American Astronomy
Saturn's Encke Minima and Encke Division
Nature and Travel Photography
Recommended Astronomy Books
October 6, 2002, 10:45 - 11:00 UT, seeing 5 - 8 (fair - very good), transparency 5. System I Central Meridian 244.2°, System II Central Meridian 82.4°.
Astro-Physics 7.1" f/9 EDT refractor on homemade Dobsonian-style mount. Magnification 172x - 275x with Baader binoviewer.
In the southern portion of the globe the following zones and belts were visible: the South Polar Region (SPR), the South Temperate Zone (STZ), the South Temperate Belt (STB), the South Tropical Zone (STropZ), and the South Equatorial Belt (SEB). The SEB appeared to be bisected by a light colored rift preceding the Great Red Spot/Red Spot Hollow (GRS/RSH). The rift was near the edge of the SEB north. The GRS appeared to be light pink in color. Just below the rift was a small dark condensation. Following the GRS/RSH there appeared to be a series of small ovals.
In the Equatorial Zone (EZ) a large festoon was visible along the North Equatorial Belt (NEB) south, with the base of the preceding edge of the festoon visible. The festoon appeared to connect to a faint, discontinuous Equatorial Band (EB).
The North Equatorial Belt appeared to have an irregular shape, with the center of the NEB south (NEBs) appearing concave, while the NEBn appeared convex, and the NEBn near the following limb curved upwards. The North Temperate Belt was prominent, appearing thicker near the preceding and following limb, and the North Polar Region (NPR) had a pronounced "cap" to it.