gothicangel Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 hellloooo! been looking at mars tonight and found it really small and fuzzy, cant see a disk clearly and im getting lots of colours around it. Does anyone know if its just that its small this time of year or am i doing something wrong with my scope. I using my 20mm eyepiece with a 3xbarlow lens, is it too much magnification? Also does anyone know when it will be best to view mars? thanks :0) S.J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Mars IS really small and fuzzy pretty much all the time. It really need a large aperture scope and loads of magnification to get good results. It will be incredibally small in a 5" scope such as yours, but i honestly think that 3X barlow is way too much magnification for your scope to handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothicangel Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 yeah i thought as much, am thinking of getting a skywatcher 200p dobsonian but i think even that aperture would be to small for mars! lol oh well, better get saving my pennies Thanks lukeskywatcher! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I had a go at Mars a few weeks ago with my 8" SCT, 6mm EP and 2X barlow and even that was not enough. Mars is notoriously difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Mars does not get big this time around. It will be much more impressive in July 2018 though !. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Mars does not get big this time around. It will be much more impressive in July 2018 though !.My best view of Mars was a few years ago from the fringes of the Tunisian Sahara with my naked eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothicangel Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 Mars does not get big this time around. It will be much more impressive in July 2018 though !. well i just got time for a cup of tea then! on the bright side, i will prob have a pretty good scope by then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothicangel Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 I had a go at Mars a few weeks ago with my 8" SCT, 6mm EP and 2X barlow and even that was not enough. Mars is notoriously difficult.oh well, at least i know its not just me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 oh well, at least i know its not just me! I have all but given up on Mars (if i am honest..........i have given up on it). It really just doesnt happen for me. No love lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothicangel Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 I have all but given up on Mars (if i am honest..........i have given up on it). It really just doesnt happen for me. No love lost.yeah i think its time to move on lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 yeah i think its time to move on lolThere is soooooooooo much more out there to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothicangel Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 There is soooooooooo much more out there to see.yeah saturn is next on my list not sure when will be the best time tho, its up so early in the morning at the mo and is so low on the horizon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 yeah saturn is next on my list not sure when will be the best time tho, its up so early in the morning at the mo and is so low on the horizon.Try 4am. It should be good about then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothicangel Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 Try 4am. It should be good about then. cool thanks! I just need a break in this evil cloud! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 cool thanks! I just need a break in this evil cloud! LolDont we all. It was clear here earlier but now 100% CLOUD COVER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothicangel Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 Dont we all. It was clear here earlier but now 100% CLOUD COVER. yeah i got some good views of jupiter earlier and an okish view of venus then it clouded over :0( looks like its in for the rest of the night too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trickystar1 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 The luck of mars, sometimes it's a red fuzzy disc, other times clear as a whistle with sharp contrast on the polar caps and breath taking, iv even managed Phobos and demos under very good conditions with a 14" newt. My old 10" dob use to give me good views to. Eye pieces can make a difference, don't get to hyped up with barlows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiddles Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I was going to slide off to bed, but Saturn will be above the horizon in about 20mins. I've just set my 'scope up, found some warm clothes and poured myself a glass of single malt. Cue clouds!!Maybe I'll try my luck on Mars until the ringed beauty appears, it doesn't like me though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzil Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Dont give up with Mars - even with a small scope!For me in 2010 Mars only delivered surface detail when very close to its opposition with us (march 3rd this time). Mars is going to be almost (but not quite) the same apparent size as it was in 2010, although I dont think it will get as high in the sky, so the seeing will probably be at more of a premium.Just so you know (and to give you some hope) - my scope has a smaller apeture than yours and i could clearly make out an ice cap and a dark area (Syrtis Major) last time around. I was using EPs to give mags of 166x and even up to 200x!!Seeing conditions count for a lot with planets - even if you have a huge scope capable of giving detail up to 300x, it will do you no good if the seeing conditions only allow for 150-200x. Also I find with a large scope that Mars/Jupiter can be too bright, which washes out all the colour and detail, and then have to put filters on, or cover most of your apeture anyway!Dont give up, and you might get a nice suprise if the seeing is good at the beginning of March.Warren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I saw the polar cap on Mars about 9 yrs ago with my 90mm refractor (f/l1000mm). Since then using a 130mm scope and lately a 200mm scope i barely even saw the planet as more then a dot. I'm not gonna waste time on it any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzil Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 That sucks Paul - but you know what they say, good things come to those who wait warren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeSkywatcher Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 i WONT HOLD MY BREATH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzil Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 S.J - a 6mm planetary EP without a barlow might work nicely for Mars, and of course make sure youre all collimated and cooled down.w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine185 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Used a 20mm with 3.6x Barlow and got some nice detail on Thursday morning about 3.30am, nice red disc and glowing ice cap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevetynant Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 yeah i got some good views of jupiter earlier and an okish view of venus then it clouded over :0( looks like its in for the rest of the night too.Same here - got up about 5:30 this morning - left the scope to cool down in the -5c outside then got my 25mm on Saturn for a few minutes-then got my 8mm out - nothing - total darkness - still having difficulty with this lens? No - in the space of 10 minutes probabaly I'd gone from total clear skies to total cloud cover - oh well will live to fight another day and now I'm not going to waste half the morning in bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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