Solar System
The solar system starts with the sun, a yellow dwarf of about 864 000
miles diameter but nobody knows where it ends as its known boundary seems
to be expanding as scientists are finding objects further and further away.
For small/medium instruments the practical limit ends at Saturn. Anywhere
further than that will only be seen as a very small disc or point source
of light. The sun (if you're careful!), moon and planets up to Saturn provide
good, entertaining viewing for users of small, medium and large instruments
alike. Many astronomers (like myself) live in skies that suffer some degree
of light pollution and frequent cloud. The brighter solar system objects
often mean I can enjoy something in the sky when deep sky observing is
a complete waste of time.
The attraction for me is that objects in the solar system change their
appearance much more frequently than objects much further away. Pride of
place must be solar features visible in hydrogen alpha light which can
change appearance in a matter of minutes.
If you are a beginner, start with the moon. Yes, we've been there and
more experienced astronomers ignore it but it has a charm of its own and
will show features on nights when even the bright planets are obscured
by cloud.
Click here for object description and photos
Sun
Moon
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Comets
Meteors
More information about the solar system
Solar System Live
BBC
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