What is the minimum zoom you need to get to see saturn's rings as identifiable?

--
-

Long ago people that had never developed optical technology are said to have known that Saturn had rings from seeing it with their naked eyes. They had phenomenal vision and the skies were clear of pollutants and light pollution, so they also had great SEEING (transparency of the sky). So probably during Saturn’s close approach to earth ancient people could make out the rings. But nowadays with smog and contrails and light pollution; not to mention genetically weaker eyes since the advent of glasses (My evolution theory). I would try 8X bare min but you probably won't like the results because it will look more like a sideways egg this year but in a few when the rings will appear edge on like a faint line through the planet My be neat. Anyhoo sorry I totally get excited when people show any interest in space....or anything I can explain to them. I'd try 20X mine are .....let me do the math ...about 222.22 so 222X which is what you want to be doing any planet shot around 150-200X is my best recommendation.

Not to go on forever but I believe the Mayan’s built a whole city that has temples laid out in concentric circles and their just happens to be as many as we have planets. The center temple is the Pyramid of the sun. Crazy

you seem to know your stuff...

when i was a kid in rural pakistan, no elecritcity, during the warm summer months we used to sleep outdoors and gaze and look at all the stars, a sky filled with them.

nowadays i take my kid out and i am not even sure he knows what a sky filled with stars look like.

--
-

"I would say I know enough" to get the job done, thank you.

I wish that I didnt hate bugs so damn much or I would try that some time in a desolate place.

Light polution is very bad, a shame. I'm becoming a member of The Dark Sky Association when I get the money for dues. (been forever)

WE LIKE CLEAR DARK SKIES!!!!

AMAZING!

Very clear and nice and good! Saturn is be-yooo-teeful, isn't it?

--
[->-]
/ ),)\
| ,)_),) Let the Penguinvasion begin.

That does it. I'm buying a telescope tomorrow.

TY I hope to get some even better ones now. That one was taken either last winter or the one b4 with my old "bigger" telescope. I now have a different one, although smaller. I bought it for the sole purpose of wide firld astrophotography. I have yet to get everything rolling because I am swamped with problems of varing magnitudes of late. I hope to get everything fired up and posted ASAP. But right not everythings SNAFU in my world.