[Launch Alert] Iapetus Visible

[Brian Webb]

                             LAUNCH ALERT

			            Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		         E-mail: kd6nrp at earthlink.net
	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info

				               2005 April 3 (Sunday) 21:03 PDT
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                           IAPETUS VISIBLE

Saturn's faint moon Iapetus reaches inferior conjunction early next
week and will be favorably placed for observation in amateur
telescopes. A good time for residents of the Southwest to hunt for the
magnitude +11 object is the evening of April 4 at about 21:00 PDT
(04:00 UTC).

To spot Iapetus from moderately light polluted locations, use an
8-inch or larger telescope. If you are observing from a darker site,
a 6-inch instrument will probably suffice. Experiment with a range of
magnifications (160x is a good bet for an 8-inch scope).

Assuming your telescope inverts images and north is at the top, look
for Saturn's bright moon Titan in the foreground at the 8 o'clock
position about 75 arc seconds from the planet. The much fainter
Iapetus should be immediately to right of Titan and slightly below it.

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