{"id":47081,"date":"2023-07-04T10:06:40","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T10:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=120035"},"modified":"2023-07-04T10:32:32","modified_gmt":"2023-07-04T10:32:32","slug":"see-and-photograph-pluto-at-opposition-on-22-july","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/see-and-photograph-pluto-at-opposition-on-22-july\/","title":{"rendered":"See and photograph Pluto at opposition on 22 July"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dwarf planet Pluto reaches opposition in July 2023. Follow our guide and find out how to observe and photograph it. <\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 04 July 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

During July 2023, Pluto moves into a barren region of sky to the east of the Teapot asterism<\/a> in Sagittarius<\/a>, and reaches opposition<\/a> on 22 July 2023.<\/p>\n

At an eye-wateringly faint mag. +14.4 and having a relatively low altitude from the UK, you\u2019ll need a decent-sized telescope to see it visually \u2013 300mm minimum, although larger will make the task that much easier.<\/p>\n

Pluto can be a tough target, especially when low in a less than pristine sky.<\/p>\n

Despite this, trying to locate this tiny world remains a popular challenge with amateur kit.<\/p>\n

In July 2023 it\u2019s in a barren area on the Capricornus\u2013Sagittarius border, but there are some patterns that will make observing and photographing a bit easier than you might think.<\/p>\n

\""Once\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Once the 9th planet in the Solar System, Pluto is now classified as a Kuiper Belt Object. Credit: NASA\/JHUAPL\/SwRI<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Pluto has a diameter of 2,476km and a 17.2\u00b0-inclined, elliptical orbit that takes it out as far as 49.3 AU from the Sun and in as close as 29.7 AU.<\/p>\n

When it\u2019s near to this perihelion, Pluto can be closer than the most distant major planet in the Solar System, Neptune<\/a>, which orbits the Sun with an average distance of 30.1 AU.<\/p>\n

Pluto performs this swap once every 248 years, staying closer to the Sun than Neptune for around 20 years. The last time it occurred was between 1979 and 1999.<\/p>\n

Being so distant and small, through amateur scopes Pluto never looks anything more than a star-like dot, with its family of five natural satellites well beyond reach.<\/p>\n

Despite this, locating and recording Pluto remains a popular challenge using amateur equipment.<\/p>\n

One of the best ways to \u2018see\u2019 Pluto is to use a camera, so let\u2019s take a look at how exactly you can do that.<\/p>\n

\""The\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The most accurate natural colour image of Pluto taken by NASA\u2019s New Horizons spacecraft in 2015. Credit: NASA\/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory\/Southwest Research Institute\/Alex Parker<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Photographing Pluto at opposition<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Using a camera is one of the best ways to see Pluto, and comes with the obvious advantage of giving you the opportunity to capture a photo of the dwarf planet.<\/p>\n

To photograph Pluto, you don\u2019t need anything fancy.<\/p>\n

A tracking mount is recommended, although if you don\u2019t mind a bit of noise, a high ISO setting may still grab a result even using a static platform such as a tripod.<\/p>\n

A 200mm or longer lens will capture a decent shot of the Pluto star field.<\/p>\n

If you can get several shots over separate nights it should be possible to reveal the motion of Pluto by blinking between the images.<\/p>\n

Finding Pluto, step-by-step<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\""Find\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Find Pluto by locating the three stars we\u2019ve labelled A, B and C, north of the kite shape in Sagittarius. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The key to locating Pluto in 2023 will be to use a small kite-shaped asterism<\/a> formed by the stars 58, 59, 60 and 62 Sagittarii.<\/p>\n

These shine at magnitudes +4.7, +4.5, +4.4 and +4.8 and so aren\u2019t particularly hard to see, all being naked-eye stars.<\/p>\n

Look for them 12\u00b0 west of the southern tip of Capricornus as marked by mag. +4.1 Omega (\u03c9<\/span>) Capricorni.<\/p>\n

Incidentally, 58 Sagittarii is also known as Omega (\u03c9<\/span>) Sagittarii.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve located this pattern, head north from 62 Sagittarii for 2.5x the length of the kite pattern (62\u201358 Sagittarii, 2.1\u00b0).<\/p>\n

This will bring you to a triangle of sixth-magnitude stars 1.1\u00b0 to the southwest of the mag. +8.6 globular cluster<\/a> M75.<\/p>\n

\""Globular\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Globular cluster M75 is a good starting point to find Pluto, whose path is shown here against its 14th-magnitude background star field. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The stars are HIP 98785 (mag. +6.4), HIP 98575 (mag. +6.0) and HIP 98399 (mag. +6.8).<\/p>\n

For ease, let\u2019s refer to them as A, B and C respectively.<\/p>\n

If you extend the line from C to A for the same distance again, you\u2019ll arrive where Pluto begins its July track.<\/p>\n

Throughout the month it covers a distance from its starting point parallel with and of the same distance as A\u2013B.<\/p>\n

As long as your camera can cover the area described and can record stars down to mag. +15, you should be able to capture Pluto as a dot.<\/p>\n

To do this with a general photographic lens, open the lens fully (perhaps closing by a stop or two if the lens distorts badly).<\/p>\n

Use a mid to high ISO and bracket exposures around, for example, 10, 20 or 30 seconds.<\/p>\n

Have you managed to observe or photograph Pluto? Let us know by emailing us at contacus@skyatnightmagazine.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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