Who would've thought I'd spot Pluto from my own backyard? Especially considering the challenge I had finding
Uranus before. So there I was, lounging on my sofa, flipping through the July Sky and Telescope issue, when I came across this article about Pluto's Opposition. It was loaded with info on how to track it and confirm your discovery. The trick? Make a sketch of your view, then check if anything's changed the next night. Seemed like a plan, but I had a different idea - why not use my camera?
So, on the evening of July 21st, I geared up with star maps and my trusty mount, ready to conquer Pluto hunting.I had a hunch I'd locked onto Pluto. Couldn't hold my horses till the next night, though. I spent the next few hours comparing what I'd captured with three different software packages. Carte's du Ciel, TheSky X, and SkySafari confirmed what I was hoping - it was Pluto all right. But hey, I wasn't going to bet the house on this until I had another go the next night.
Finally, on the 22nd, I was back in action. Fired up my Go-To mount, clicked a few snapshots, and boom! A quick comparison to the previous night's shots and the truth was out - Pluto had switched spots. I'd cracked the code and actually seen Pluto, thanks to my camera and some slick EAA techniques. Not exactly real-time, but a 2 second lag felt pretty darn close, and I was grinning ear to ear.
Funny twist, though - turns out the plate-solver I use in SharpCap could've saved me a load of hassle. All that sleuthing from the previous night? Unnecessary (although it was part of the fun). The plate-solver casually pinpointed Pluto in the frame. You live, you learn.
Oh, and by the way, here's a shot from my initial nighttime adventure and a neat animation displaying Pluto's nocturnal movements. I'll confess, I was in a bit of a hurry with the setup that first night, so the focus wasn't perfect (clearly shown in my animation). But you know, Pluto's quite the elusive dance partner!
Pluto Trajectory - September 21st and 27th, 2004
