Meade EclipseView 82mm Instruction Manual - Page 34

Observing the Solar System Venus is seen before dawn or after sunset, because it is close to the Sun. You can observe Venus going through crescent phases. But you cannot see any surface detail on Venus because it has a very thick atmosphere of gas. When Mars is close to the Earth, you can see some details on Mars, and sometimes even Mars' polar caps. Jupiter is quite interesting to observe. You can see bands across the face of Jupiter. The more time you spend observing these bands, the more details you will be able to see. One of the most fascinating sights of Jupiter are its moons. The four largest moons are called the Galilean moons, after the astronomer Galileo, who observed them for the first time. If you've never watched the Galilean moons in your telescope before, you're missing a real treat! Each night, the moons appear in different positions around the Jovian sky. This is sometimes called the Galilean dance. On any given night, you might be able to see the shadow of a moon on the face of Jupiter, see one moon eclipse another or even see a moon emerge from behind Jupiter's giant disk. Probably the most memorable sight you will see in your telescope is Saturn. Although you may not see many features on the surface of Saturn, its ring structure will steal your breath away. On nights of very steady seeing you may be able to see a black opening in the rings, known as the Cassini band. 34 33