My first planet viewing

[Darren1983]

Well after some perseverance with my sky-watcher explorer 200p,i finally managed to get a nice view of Mars,it mainly looked like a bright star to begin with but after i let it settle and my eyes adjusted,i could make out its reddish colour ,i was amazed and kept looking at it for about an hour,this was just with the standard 10mm lens that came with my scope.

Im having no luck with the supplied barlow x2 lens ,no matter what way i try to use it,just can't get that last bit of focus,did anyone have the same problem with there sky-watcher? im going to order some bst lens and maybe a different barlow as i would love to see more detail and a slightly larger image,but for what i saw tonight its made me a happy bunny .

[JamesM]

Congratulations Darren on your latest hunting mission and pleased you got your eye in on Mars. From what I have read, it would seem the barlow is the weakest part of the supplied kit and would suggest that the Tal barlow (£35) might be a useful upgrade though I believe that FLO are awaiting the next shipment to come in. The BST's are a good choice and modestly price and will certainly be a noticeable improvement on what you are currently using.

Let's hope the clear weather can continue in order for you to continue with your celestial observations!

James