Mars veiwing

[Sully]

Quick Mars question, Just spent my 3rd night out trying to get a decent veiw of mars with my 130.

When veiwing it I cannot get any colour or definition, Just a bright disc with some darkish patches, is this to be expected for my scope or would filters help?

Any advice welcome.

Thanks

Sully

[Skybrowser]

It was clear tonight but the seeing wasn't great from where I live. Keep trying - have a look through a filter or two (good advice on which ones on SGL). Mars is a tough target to get good views. One minute it's a misty ball, then the next it's as clear as a bell (for a second or two). The 130 you have will deliver some good views but although Mars is close just now, it's a very small planet.

[Sully]

I've not invested in any filters yet but plan to, have been looking on ebay recently for some. Is there a vast difference in the quality of filters, cause I've seen 7 for £39 or is this a no-no?

[perrin6]

Colour in astro object is a funny thing. sometimes it's there, sometimes it aint, something to do with the colour detecting cells in our eyes needing a lot of light to work. High magnification spreads the light and perhaps there is not enough for you to see the colour. Mars is not really red but a sort of salmony orange (some may disagree the exact overall colour).

[perrin6]

Filters, shmilters, can't be bothered with the things, I like to keep my viewing setup time as short as possible plus I refuse to pay tens of pounds for pieces of coloured glass !

[John]

I don't use filters either, other than for nebulae.

To be honest, a small, possibly pinkish, disk with a white spot at one end plus some vague darker markings here and there is about what you get with Mars this opposition.

If the seeing is good the major markings can sometimes be identified using a tool like the one linked to from this Sky & Telescope web page:

Mars: Which Side Is Visible? - Planets - SkyandTelescope.com

Overall though, I don't think filters or other accessories are going to make any radical difference to your views.

[perrin6]

This site's brilliant too, it shows the disk exactly as it looks, but no names of the features though:-

2011 Mars Simulation 20111206 00:00 to 23:30

[stolenfeather]

Mars has always delivered little "wow factor" with my telescope but mine is one that is best for deep space objects and not necessarily planetary viewing. There are times when I simply wait,.. as my night vision improves, I can detect more from our red neighbour. I also use a Barlow lens, if the conditions are right,.. I can see shades of colour.

I always thought that I could see much more of the polar ice cap but was made aware that it has been shrinking.

Isabelle

[Trickystar1]

You got to give mars time, at the moment it's coming into opposition, two of three clear nights and one of them will usually give good views, filters are useful, I use various filters, but the best views iv had is using no filters through my 8" newt , I use a 10mm eye piece, my scope is f5.

[Catweazel]

With my 120 frac, I can just about get some detail on Mars. Last night, I saw some vague dark markings. I used a Baader Neodymium filter (not cheap!), but it made little or no difference. In the end, Saturn came up on the horizon, and lets be honest, it's no contest

[Stu]

Last night I was observing for around 4 hours, almost exclusively on Mars using my omc200. It was pretty dodgy for quite a while until it had cooled enough as I didn't put it outside until 8 pm.

I used 22mm and 17mm type 4 nags plus a 13mm ethos. Magnifications of x181, x235 and x307 respectively. Unfiltered, the view wasn't great, but putting an orange filter gave, to me, a useful benefit. It cut the glare down and improved the contrast of the darker markings.

x 235 was probably best last night. Don't get me wrong, the conditions weren't brilliant and I had to persevere to get the detail out but it was there in moments of good seeing. Syrtis Major clearly on view later on. Polar cap small but obvious. I also got faint hints of the white clouds which appear in some of the images on the forum.

Stu

[Sully]

Thanks for the advice, I won't be expecting too much from Mars then. And I'll give the filters a miss for now, this could be and expensive hobby with all the £40 and £50 that everything seems to cost.

On the up side, I'm just leaving for a week in the Highlands, scope coming with me so hope to get some good veiwing up there.

Thanks again,

Sully

[Bluey]

Mars has always delivered little "wow factor" with my telescope but mine is one that is best for deep space objects and not necessarily planetary viewing. There are times when I simply wait,.. as my night vision improves, I can detect more from our red neighbour. I also use a Barlow lens, if the conditions are right,.. I can see shades of colour.

I always thought that I could see much more of the polar ice cap but was made aware that it has been shrinking.

Isabelle

Must be global warming again

[Dunkster]

I was out last night with my Mak and 8.8... it was a bit windy now and again which was playing havoc with my views. In good moments, I could see the polar cap and a hint of a darker streak in the southern hemisphere. Bit of a different side than I saw last week, and also noticeably worse conditions

[nckjsmitj]

Mars has been a bit disappointing but that could be down to all the images we've been fed over the years. But all you have to remember is that YOU ARE LOOKING AT A REAL image and not an inspired artists impression.

On the kit side of things, these items are usable for many years if we'll looked after, so pound for pound its an inexpensive science for the amateur to undertake.

[localdealer]

Looked at Mars tonight with my 102mm frac, with 10mm EP and x2 Barlow. The redish orange colour was clear, but had to keep looking to see any hint of the ice cap. Didnt manage to see and dark markings.

Agree with nckjsmitj though, in that its the real thing we're looking at, always have to remind myself of that.