Saturn observation - 1/16/08

Hi, I imaged and then observed Saturn this morning, the views are spectacular with the northern hemisphere showing high contrast belts and zones that have been hidden for many years. The long ring shadow on Saturn's globe is pitch black, it's one of the first features that jumps out at you. The Cassini Division is still clearly visible but not for long so get out and enjoy the ringside show. Attached is my Saturn photo taken at 3:19am (CST) this morning, it's actually a composite of 2500 frames stack one on top of the other and then processed in RegiStax. Cheers, Dan 8)

Attached Image:

Ringside show? Hehe. I get it. 8)
I got my first decent look at Saturn this year on Saturday night,
and I was amazed at how much lower the rings have tilted.
They were approaching maximum tilt when I got my first scope,
and I am looking forward to seeing them flatten out over the next year.
Thanks for sharing, Dan.
Linton