How hard is Pluto?

[MrShorty]

I was checking planet rise times, and noticed that Jupiter and Pluto are rising right about the same time -- which probably means they are pretty close to each other, which might make an easy starting place for finding Pluto. Stellarium says that tomorrow morning, they will be about 1.5 degrees apart and slowly getting farther apart as the week progresses. Of course, the moon is also in the neighborhood, and first dawn light is only an hour or 2 behind it and Pluto is listed at mag 14, so it would seem like a difficult target, but still...

[Lady Fraktor]

A good deep sky map of the area to see which pinpoint should not be there or views a couple of days apart to find the dot that moved
Good luck!

[notFritzArgelander]

A good deep sky map of the area to see which pinpoint should not be there or views a couple of days apart to find the dot that moved
Good luck!

I opted for the former method 50 years ago with a university’s 16” Cassegrain and the Palomar Sky Survey to use. Back then the background objects weren’t so profuse either.

[yobbo89]

It's even hard to find with a sensitive cmos/ccd , best of luck with your target

[JayTee]

I think it is a borderline visual object in a 12". Your sky condition (transparency) and LP level will dictate whether it is visible or not. I'd sure like to know if you do find it though!

Cheers,
JT

[sdbodin]

Not hard to image, I did it with my 4" a couple years ago. Visually, a different animal, difficult in my 16", but part of that is its location, far to the south.

Clear skies,
Steve

[helicon]

I have never seen it. It's on the bucketlist. And, it is no longer a planet!

[MrShorty]

Took a stab at it this morning. I'm pretty sure I was looking in the right spot, but cannot say for sure that I actually saw it. Whether too faint to actually see the dot, or too difficult to distinguish from other star dots in the vicinity. Will try again, though this morning was the clearest morning of the next several (according to current forecasts).

[notFritzArgelander]

..... And, it is no longer a planet!

I've heard that rumor.....

[ARock]

I found it by stacking a few 5 min exposures using my ST80 clone and a DSLR. Even then it was a barely noticeable speck, and I had to use platesolving to prove that the speck was Pluto.

[Lady Fraktor]

..... And, it is no longer a planet!

I've heard that rumor.....

Definitely a rumour...

[sdbodin]

..... And, it is no longer a planet!

I've heard that rumor.....

Definitely a rumour...

I thought it was MM's friendly mut.

Steve

[notFritzArgelander]

..... And, it is no longer a planet!

I've heard that rumor.....

Definitely a rumour...

Malicious gossip started by the IAU. Pluto's having nothing of it.

[AntennaGuy]

A good deep sky map of the area to see which pinpoint should not be there or views a couple of days apart to find the dot that moved
Good luck!

I opted for the former method 50 years ago with a university’s 16” Cassegrain and the Palomar Sky Survey to use. Back then the background objects weren’t so profuse either.

OK, that was your approach, and... did you see it or not?? (I find it amusing/curious that you did not actually say that you succeeded!)

[notFritzArgelander]

A good deep sky map of the area to see which pinpoint should not be there or views a couple of days apart to find the dot that moved
Good luck!

I opted for the former method 50 years ago with a university’s 16” Cassegrain and the Palomar Sky Survey to use. Back then the background objects weren’t so profuse either.

OK, that was your approach, and... did you see it or not?? (I find it amusing/curious that you did not actually say that you succeeded!)

I saw a dot at the location indicated by the finder chart I prepared. Some folks, other than myself, insist that one track the dot over a period of days to claim finding Pluto. I'm inclined to regard that as silly pettifoggery. I did not have the time and/or weather to do that.

I'm not likely to report on a method that failed. I experienced photons from the location of Pluto. OK? I did not do the tracking bit. So folks who are so inclined can claim I didn't. We'll have to agree to disagree.

[Lady Fraktor]

I only intended to do a visual the one night but clear skies a few days later enabled a second view and confirmation.
I was happy with the first night viewing results either way though.

[notFritzArgelander]

I only intended to do a visual the one night but clear skies a few days later enabled a second view and confirmation.
I was happy with the first night viewing results either way though.

Just to be clear, I wasn't accusing you of pettifoggery. It was someone else on a different board.

[Lady Fraktor]

I was just responding to AntennaGuy posting as he quoted us both on if it had been seen.

[Sky]

I checked my records and found I last observed and imaged Pluto... using a 12" SCT ...on July 12, 2002. It was very easy to identify ... visually ... using a finder chart showing stars to around 14th magnitude. To capture an image required only a 10 second exposure.

Of course, with Pluto currently being at 14.4 magnitude, it will now be somewhat more difficult to find it.

[Bigzmey]

Good reference which charts ALL stars down to 15 mag is the key. I used SkySafary pro.

Then you basically need good transparency and the scope capable of resolving it. For 14.4mag, I would say at least 12".

I barely resolved it with 8", but it was 13.8mag at that time.