Saturn reached opposition on 28 April 2013, Saturn is even further south of the ecliptic this year (around -11°) than last and so is getting even lower in the sky.
The rings are continuing to open slowly. Each year they will open a little more until 2017 when they will reach their maximum.
The images are in chronological order.
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The first picture this year taken at 05:55 UT on 2nd February 2013. Saturn was almost due south at an altitude of 23° 42'. It was 1,456 million kilometres (9.73 AU) away and subtended an angle of 17 arc-seconds. The inclination of the rings was 19.3 degrees.
Date and Time: 2nd February 2013 05:55 UT Camera: DFK 21AF04 Telescope: LX200 with X2 lens Capture: ICCapture. 1/23", gain 1023, 1617 frames at 15 fps Processing: Registax 6. 1alignment point, 150 frames stacked, wavelets 1-3 = 10 Increase of contrast in PhotoImpact and Focus Magic focus 7, 50% |
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Saturn was in very nearly the same position when I took this picture almost 6 weeks later at 03:40 UT. It was a little closer at 1,366 million kilometres (9.13 AU) and subtended 18 arc-seconds. The inclination of the rings was 19.1°.
Date and Time: 14th March 2013 3:40 UT Camera: DFK 21AF04 Telescope: LX200 with X2 lens Capture: ICCapture. Exposure 1/19 sec, gain 1023 (maximum), 1799 frames at 15 fps Processing: Registax 6. 2 Alignment points, 150 frames stacked per point, Gaussian Wavelets Scheme 8. Focus Magic focus 7,50% |
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And here it is with some of its satellites. To see them identified, move your mouse pointer over the picture. Mimas is there but may be difficult to see at magnitude 13.1 The picture is a mosaic of a correctly exposed image of Saturn overlaid on an over-exposed image needed to record the satellites. Date and Time: 14th March 2013 3:40 UT Camera: DFK 21AF04 Telescope: LX200 with X2 lens Capture: ICCapture. Exposure 1/19 sec, gain 1023 (maximum), 1799 frames at 15 fps Processing: Registax 6. 2 Alignment points, 150 frames stacked per point, Gaussian Wavelets Scheme 8. Focus Magic focus 7,50% |