viewing Mars

[Sully]

When trying to view/image Mars is there a filter that would reduce the glare and allow you to see more detail?

[Sully]

Has anyone any advice please

[Capricorn]

Never tried it, scopes I have probably wouldn't get the magnification needed, but I recall a couple of years back people saying an IR filter helped.

I have no ideas why, since we don't see IR. Perhaps it removes a little in the visual spectrum that makes it better.

That is all I can suggest, better wait for someone else to offer a suggestion.

[Ags]

Use more magnification - it makes the planet dimmer and it's easier to make out the detail in a larger image. I find Mars is acceptably bright at a magnification of about twice the aperture in mm - 220x in my 102mm mak. Admittedly this may not be practical if you are the lucky owner of a big newtonian.

[MBJ]

A light yellow filter helps to increase the detail in the maria on Mars, enhance detail in the belts on Jupiter, increase resolution of detail in large telescope when viewing Neptune and Uranus, and enhance detail on the moon in smaller scopes

Yellow filters help greatly in viewing Mars by bringing out the polar ice caps, enhancing blue clouds in the atmosphere, increasing contrast, and brightening desert regions. Yellow also enhances red and orange features on Jupiter and Saturn and darkens the blue festoons near Jupiter's equator.

An orange filter helps increase contrast between light and dark areas, penetrates clouds, and assists in detecting dust storms on Mars. Orange also helps to bring out the Great Red Spot and sharpen contrast on Jupiter.

Light red filters help to make Mercury and Venus stand out from the blue sky when viewed during the day. Used in large scopes, light red sharpens boundaries and increases contrast on Mars, sharpens belt contrast on Jupiter, and brings out surface detail on Saturn

Red provides maximum contrast of surface features and enhances surface detail, polar ice caps, and dust clouds on Mars. Red also reduces light glare when looking at Venus. In large scopes, a red filter sharply defines differences between clouds and surface features on Jupiter and adds definition to polar caps and maria on Mars.