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Mars - surface detail or red blob


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OK. I am starting to get a bit annoyed with the bringer of war now.

I've tried a couple of times to have a look at Mars through the SW 200p newt, with the most recent this week. I cannot make out any surface detail on it. I've tried re-adjusting the mirrors, using a collimation cap and a laser collimator to get it as far as I can tell dead on, with the three mirror clips visible down the focuser tube etc.

I've tried a a couple of different eyepieces and combos, 20mm (bog standard celestron), 6.7mm meade plossl, tried using a 2x Celestron Omni barlow with both eyepieces and still not able to see anything approaching detail. There's all this talk of Mars being at it's closest now for quite a few years so it'll suck if I'm not able to do any webcam imaging for it.

I've got the scope trained on it now, it's just popped behind a tree so I've come in seeking inspiration. Am I missing something blindingly obvious here? I guess it's possible that I've somehow mangled the collimation, but the fairly reasonable webcam shots of Jupiter and Saturn from earlier this year made me think I have that front sorted out.

:D

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I have a problem with planets rising in the S.E at this time of night which is directly over Plymouth for me. The result is poor seeing and almost no detail of any kind, could this be a similar problem you have?

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Hmm, the position of Mars right now is fairly high in the southern sky, should be a minimal amount of LP. I'll wander out in a minute and see if it's cleared the tree.

I know what you mean though, I tried to test today's collimation out on Jupiter as it was setting in the west and that was definitely messed up due to the LP from the town etc.

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You need to let it climb high. In doing so it climbs to an angle where you look through less atmosphere and, as the Earth cools, the seeing further improves. Early evening, red blob. Much later, ice cap, red surface, blue-grey markings, canals and Percvival Lowell heading down them on a pedalo interviewing martians... Well, hey, some of that is true!

Olly

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Meh, I just packed up for the night as my old nemesis mister cloud checked in for the evening.

Still can't make out any detail. Came back inside and shoved the laser collimator in, tightened up the focusing screws and it's just a teeny bit out, surely it can't be making that much difference.

If the seeing has been poor recently it would explain why this week has sucked for me for Mars for sure. There is a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that maybe a Cheshire collimator might be needed "just because".

As for the Moon... I was getting somewhere recently with my DSO shots this month, I just figured out how to do my flats and then SOMEONE invited mister moon to the party and can I get any time with my little DSO friends, nooooooooooooooo it ALL just has to be about that guy mister moon. I am in my "not liking the moon phase" of astronomy which is surprising because a year ago I was in the "wow the moon is cool" phase when I got my first scope.

Ah well. To bed. I'll get you get, Mars! *shakes fist*

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I've had similar experiences Dishmop. Last week I managed some good views with both my mak, and refractor seeing plenty of detail, but this week all I can see is the disk, with just the faintest hint of the polar cap. Just have to keep trying I guess

Stu

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Dishmop, you aint the only one with this problem. Over the last few nights, I've spent a couple of hours on Mars and have seen no surface detail. There are a number of threads on here in a similar theme......At the end of the day, Mars is very difficult to view in any detail, lets not forget, its smaller than Earth and a long way away, I think we expect too much of it really.... its got nothing to do with your collimation by the sounds of. As Olly said, you have to pick the right conditions at the right time, difficult to do involving a bit of luck

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Yep, I've only turned my attention to mars a couple of times because after the first time I tried and all I saw was a red blob, I thought what's the point?

But it is down to seeing conditions and time spent at the eyepiece. A few nights ago I had another go at mars and after about 5 minutes or so I could start to make out some very faint surface detail.

Like most things in astronomy, patience seems to unlock mars' secrets.

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I have had only a few nights of good seeing with Mars. I have seen the ice caps, and some darker areas against lighter red areas. It really is wonderfull. I love it to bits.

At the moment (for the last 3 weeks) I have found it impossible to see more than just a red blob with occasional hints of a TINY ice cap. Last good viewing was beginning of january, the ice cap was HUGE.

I use 4.5" F7.8 scope. Best eyepieces for mars are 10mm, 6mm and 4mm (I know it is a lot of mag but it works really well)

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I have a 200p and the only way I have managed to see surface detail at all is using a moon filter. Without the filter I just see a pink blob, with the filter I have seen one ice cap and darker regions on the surface.

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I have a 200p and the only way I have managed to see surface detail at all is using a moon filter. Without the filter I just see a pink blob, with the filter I have seen one ice cap and darker regions on the surface.

That's exactly what I see. I have only ever seen one ice cap

(i think their is only one visible)

What F number is your 200p?

I have a F/7.8 so my scope is very forgiving and loves any eyepiece at all.

If you have an F/5ish or lower then using a filter will help with the excess light.

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Mars is tricky but just spend time on it, make sure you are cooled, collimated and I find a Baader neodymium filter helps. I have seen excellent detail this year once the planet rises to a higher point. You really have to stare at it too and block out any lights nearby that create loss of contrast, this really can help. My best views have been at 230x.

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Shane, do you feel the moon affects views much? I don't usually find it too much of a problem with planets but I guess the last couple of nights it has been very bright and close to mars. Probably washing out the detail.

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it's possible I expect although I use the Baader Neodymium filter which is supposed to reduce moonglow and does this effectively so maybe this is a reason I have been seeing good levels of detail. the contrast reduction for me was more pronounced when thinking it didn't really matter as I was looking at mon /planets I left the kitchen light on (shame on me). I switched it off and this made a big difference to the contrast

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Still waiting for my neodymium to turn up at FLO, taking a while to get there which is a pain.

I keep leaving the bathroom light on upstairs which makes quite a difference, can't always be bothered to go and turn it off :)

Stu

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  • 4 weeks later...

Right. So just resurrecting this thread...

Tonight I was able to see polar caps and some of that "black splodge" details on mars, going up from 2x Barlow, 3x Barlow and finally my 3x barlow stacked into my 2x barlow, using a 6.9mm Meade plossl. (Oh the depths you have to plumb with a short focal length...)

So how come I was able to do and get visible detail that given I was getting a red blob before?

The reason is the collimation was way off. The laser collimator I had said everything was lined up. I bought the bullet and got a cheshire collimator which revealed that everything inside was WAY off. I can't believe just how totally wrong the laser device was!

Just to show success, I whipped out the old SPC880 and the IR filer.

post-32139-133877757352_thumb.png

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That's a nice photo. I'm seeing detail similar to that with my 10" newtonian this evening. Syrtis Major very prominent as your photo shows.

As you have found, accurate collimation makes a lot of difference to the amount of planetary detail that you can see.

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Thanks John. I am very pleased to have some some visual and a webcam capture before Mars gets "too far" away. I am still rather irked with the laser collimator though, I think it'll end up on astro buy & sell before long !

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That is a great pic. I could also see Syrtis Majot pretty clearly in my 10 inch. I was sure I could see two white "poles" tonight and your pic confirms this as well.

I certainly need to go to x200 to get any surface details. They come and go in the seeing but I also have the Baader N filter and it does help a bit with contrast.

Mark

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