Seeing the Encke Gap

Under what conditions is the Encke Gap visible. Was viewing at about 400X and had fleeting moments of clarity when it seemed the Gap was visible, but never a "Yeah! That's It!". Observing with a GSO 12" dob 8mm Stratus and 2X UO 2" Barlow. Am I expecting too much. Pickering around 4. Average seeing.

Judson

It's very tough to see the Encke Gap. I've never seen it but heard/read reports of seeing it under near perfect conditions, like southern Florida and parts of Texas. Hope some of our other experienced observers share their thoughts.

Thanks
Bill

I'm not too sure it can be seen at 400x. I've only seen it once for a fleeting second or two at a bit over 780x. Excellent seeing conditions are a must. Others with more experience may have different opinions.

GG

Jud,

I don't think it's wishful thinking. I've caught it several times from my back yard using 400x in my XT10 Dob. Of course it was on evenings of very stable air so while catching Enke was a treat, details on the entire planet were fabulously better than typical from the back yard. Last time I glimpsed it was using a 6mm TMB Planetary on top of a no-name 2x Barlow. Atmospheric seeing is really everything...more important than aperture IMO

-Bill