Mars & Observing the Red Planet

[Dantooine]

12 hours ago, Stu said:

How strange, seemed to be the opposite for me John! 🤣 GRS looked pretty good until it got amongst the tree branches.

Sounds like here. I plan my viewing around my bloody oak tree 🌳 

this target goes behind the tree at x o’clock then shows itself again at y o’clock. 

[mikeDnight]

19 hours ago, globular said:

I'm under the one bit with cloud 😢.  And your post had me all excited too.

[globular]

21 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

You captured my expression perfectly! Can you see into my garden?

Thankfully I kept my gear out and it cleared to reveal lovely conditions.
I was then:

[johnturley]

Had my best night of the apparition last night, observing Mars from around 23.00 until 02.00, initially viewing conditions were not very good, as had also been the case when I briefly observed Jupiter and Saturn between 20.30 and 21.00. However conditions steadily improved as Mars gained altitude, and I experienced a brief spell of steady viewing at around 01.30, which unfortunately did not last long as conditions had deteriorated at 02.00 when I packed up for the night. This deterioration in conditions interesting coincided with the sky becoming clearer and less hazy, and a slight breeze springing up.

Originally I had my ZWO ADC coupled with a Neodymium filter rigged up on my 14in Newtonian, and a filter wheel containing both a Neodymium and Contrast Booster Filter rigged up on my Esprit 150. For most of the evening the Esprit was giving the sharper view, but at around 01.30 I removed the ADC from my 14in, and to my surprise got the clearest sharpest view of Mars I have had so far this apparition, using a 7m Nagler T6 eyepiece which gives 250x, and for the first time more detail was visible than through the Esprit. The South Polar Cap, Sinus Sabaeus, Sinus Meridiani, Mare Erythraeum, and Niliacus Lacus were all clearly visible.

It therefore appears that although the ZWO ADC can improve the view when objects are low down and suffering from atmospheric dispersion, however when this is not the case, it appears that it can actually degrade the image to a certain extent, which owners of the expensive Gutekunst ADC’s have suggested. I have no intention of spending £ 3.5k on a Gutekunst ADC, but may consider if I read positive feedback a Pierre Astro one at around £400.

 I also took the opportunity to compare the Baader Neodymium, and Contrast Booster filters with no filter. Both filters gave a slight, but not dramatic increase to the contrast to the dark areas on Mars, and I couldn’t really decide which gave the more gain, but as mentioned in another post, I don’t particularly like the yellow cast that the Contrast Booster gives.

I attach an image processed from a video taken with my Canon 6D digital SLR using eyepiece projection at around 00.40, which was before the brief spell of steady seeing, and has not come out as well as I would like, and shows much less detail than what was observed visually. I am aware that I would get much better results with a dedicated Planetary Camera.  I tried using the 1280 x 720 setting which gives 50 FPS rather than the full HD 1920 x 1080 setting which gives 25 FPS, but this appears not to have been a success.

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by johnturley

[Stu]

Lovely report @johnturley, sounds like quite a few of us benefited from the conditions last night.

[Dantooine]

It’s so good to read all of these reports from The last few nights. It’s truly helped me to know I may actually have my kit right as I’m seeing the same detail.
 

Last time round for mars I was using binoculars and felt I was missing out. This time I feel better armed.

I’ve had very few positive highlights this year but the last few nights has been rewarding. 
 

so once again, thanks for the reports on this thread as I now feel  I’m “one of the club”.
 

 

[Les Ewan]

Just spent the last few hours watching Syrtis Major swing round and disappear into the limb. The arm of Sinus Sabaeus  and its clenched fist Sinus Meridiani well in view as of 3am BST. I realise wishful thinking has been long notourious for anabling observerers to see things on Mars ,but I think I saw the fork of Meridiani for the first time using a 21mm Plossl and 2X Barlow(180X)  using my 16" Newtonian during the brief steady micro seconds!  I'm used to observing Mars with a 8" Newt in the past and always thought the vista of Syrtis Major,Mare Serpentis Sinus Sabaeus gave the appearance of a leaping cat but with the extra resolution of the 16" this illusion is largely lost in extra detail.😎

[Dantooine]

2 hours ago, Les Ewan said:

Just spent the last few hours watching Syrtis Major swing round and disappear into the limb. The arm of Sinus Sabaeus  and its clenched fist Sinus Meridiani well in view as of 3am BST. I realise wishful thinking has been long notourious for anabling observerers to see things on Mars ,but I think I saw the fork of Meridiani for the first time using a 21mm Plossl and 2X Barlow(180X)  using my 16" Newtonian during the brief steady micro seconds!  I'm used to observing Mars with a 8" Newt in the past and always thought the vista of Syrtis Major,Mare Serpentis Sinus Sabaeus gave the appearance of a leaping cat but with the extra resolution of the 16" this illusion is largely lost in extra detail.😎

Sounds like you had a very productive session. Must have been bright in a 16”. Was this a driven scope? as At 180x I find things start to move. With mars it all seems to be a race against time before it starts shrinking again. Nice to hear you had good views. 

[Stu]

Excellent session @Les Ewan, bet it looks great in that aperture! It was too windy here last night, the scope would have been spinning round and round! Hope things calm down soon.

[Les Ewan]

Seeing was not that good and 180X was about as far as I could go. Stu,there was no wind thankfully but it was crystal clear and frosty.Dan ,the scope is a driven Skywatcher 400P on a Dob mount.

Edited September 27, 2020 by Les Ewan

[niallk]

Had my 15" out cooling for 3 hrs last night, observing at 12:30am, but the atmosphere was just a bit unsteady.  I could see on the jetstream forecast that it might improve by 3-4am but was just knackered, and planning a long cycle on Sunday 😉.  Tried the 6E but backed down to ~250x with the 8E.  Some nice views during the fleeting steadier moments, but not as steady as a session a few nights ago.  Syrtis Major, Sinus Sabaeus were the dominant features, the north polar Hood being less pronounced than the previous session I had.  Glad I tried, even if not the best - gotta take weekend chances!  Some clear skies coming up it seems, but it looks like the jetstream is set to ruin the seeing unfortunately as we head towards closest approach 😭.  There's a very nice article by Pete Lawrence in Sky at Night mag showing how Mars won't be this size for another 13 years!

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

12 hours ago, Les Ewan said:

Just spent the last few hours watching Syrtis Major swing round and disappear into the limb. The arm of Sinus Sabaeus  and its clenched fist Sinus Meridiani well in view as of 3am BST. I realise wishful thinking has been long notourious for anabling observerers to see things on Mars ,but I think I saw the fork of Meridiani for the first time using a 21mm Plossl and 2X Barlow(180X)  using my 16" Newtonian during the brief steady micro seconds!  I'm used to observing Mars with a 8" Newt in the past and always thought the vista of Syrtis Major,Mare Serpentis Sinus Sabaeus gave the appearance of a leaping cat but with the extra resolution of the 16" this illusion is largely lost in extra detail.😎

Last night seeing was pretty good. The 10mph wind was the only slight hinderance. Around 23:30, noticeably compared to previous nights, Tyrrhena Terra & Syrtis Major Planum really stood out at 180x in the 150p. Really black rather than shimmering albedo features.

Looking forward to the next month. Hopefully the weather plays ball.

I'm definitely hooked. I've thirteen years to save for a massive retirement yard cannon!

Edited September 27, 2020 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[Fozzie]

The best view I've had of mars tonight, I was starting to question my equipment again, but tonight it's hit every mark I've asked.. the magic bullet came from double stacking the neo and semi apo filter, turned a rainbow mars into a perfect salmon red, with features galore! What a sight... 

Happy...

[John]

Very nice views of Mars with just a 90mm mak-cassegrain and no filter tonight. Dark features form a distinct "Y" shape which includes the Syrtis Major. Bright white "button" of the south polar cap still well defined. Rather hazy skies probably helping to filter the planet naturally.

Very heavy dew though - everything is running with it !

 

[Pixies]

37 minutes ago, John said:

Very nice views of Mars with just a 90mm mak-cassegrain and no filter tonight. Dark features form a distinct "Y" shape which includes the Syrtis Major. Bright white "button" of the south polar cap still well defined. Rather hazy skies probably helping to filter the planet naturally.

Very heavy dew though - everything is running with it !

 

Hi John,

Do you think the south polar cap is getting smaller? I'm under the impression that it is.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

1 hour ago, Pixies said:

Hi John,

Do you think the south polar cap is getting smaller? I'm under the impression that it is.

It's Martian summer. The CO2 frost sublimes (turns from solid to gas) and the visible ice cap reduces in size.

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by ScouseSpaceCadet
Frost..

[Pixies]

6 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

It's Martian summer. The CO2 frost sublimes (turns from solid to gas) and the visible ice cap reduces in size.

 

Hehe - yes I know. I guess I wasn't very articulate in my question. Prob third late night in a row.

I was looking for confirmation that others were seeing the same thing. The size of the cap had appeared to have reduced quite significantly over a couple of weeks..

[Rob]

I have not managed Mars yet due to injury and illness this past month. I'm now finally on the mend, and hope to be out by the weekend. Those that know me and how passionate I am about Mars will appreciate I've been going nuts that I can't get out there.

Some really nice pictures and reports coming in mind.. thanks all Rob

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

44 minutes ago, Pixies said:

Hehe - yes I know. I guess I wasn't very articulate in my question. Prob third late night in a row.

I was looking for confirmation that others were seeing the same thing. The size of the cap had appeared to have reduced quite significantly over a couple of weeks..

Sorry. Some readers might not know though. 😀

Anyway, fwiw after several weeks observing, the south pole does seem to have shrunk a little, but that could just be me expecting it. 🙄

Photos would confirm it. Where are those imagers when you need them eh? Typical. 😉

 

[davhei]

1 hour ago, Pixies said:

Hehe - yes I know. I guess I wasn't very articulate in my question. Prob third late night in a row.

I was looking for confirmation that others were seeing the same thing. The size of the cap had appeared to have reduced quite significantly over a couple of weeks..

I observed Mars first in early July, then mid August, ten days ago and now just last night and I definitely believe the south polar ice cap has reduced a lot. I thought the difference between mid august and five weeks later was significant. Was shocked it seemed to disappear so fast! I cant rule out that the planetary rotation/orientation and psychological factors make me overstate the difference to a certain extent though...

[niallk]

1 hour ago, davhei said:

I observed Mars first in early July, then mid August, ten days ago and now just last night and I definitely believe the south polar ice cap has reduced a lot. I thought the difference between mid august and five weeks later was significant. Was shocked it seemed to disappear so fast! I cant rule out that the planetary rotation/orientation and psychological factors make me overstate the difference to a certain extent though...

I observed Mars at the start of June, then last week, and the reduction in the polar cap was astounding!!

[westmarch]

11 hours ago, John said:

Very nice views of Mars with just a 90mm mak-cassegrain and no filter tonight. Dark features form a distinct "Y" shape which includes the Syrtis Major. Bright white "button" of the south polar cap still well defined. Rather hazy skies probably helping to filter the planet naturally.

Very heavy dew though - everything is running with it !

 

I was going to write a review but this was it, almost  word for word.
 

Last time I used my 90mm mak-cassegrain but last night pulled out the dob. Couldn’t keep Mars in the objective until I realised that the equatorial platform was on Southern Hemisphere mode!  🥺
 

Once stabilised, this was one of my best sessions with Mars. I agree that the polar cap was much reduced since last viewed in late August. 
 

I often hear that stopping down improves planetary views. Can anyone explain the reasoning for this?

[johnturley]

16 hours ago, Pixies said:

Hi John,

Do you think the south polar cap is getting smaller? I'm under the impression that it is.

I would not be surprised at all it it disappears completely, at least in amateur instruments, like it did in 2005. There are a number of reports indicating that it now shrinks more than it used to, suggesting that Mars as well as the earth may be experiencing global warming. I looked at Mars last night and to me the SPC was tiny, smaller than it appeared in late September 1973 (slightly later in the Martian summer) when I made some drawings, shortly before the onset of the global dust storm of that year.

Viewing conditions were quite good again last night (after having been very poor on 25-26 September), and I was able to use up to 250x on both my 14in and Esprit 150, which showed  similar levels of detail. I find that particularly with Esprit 150, the image gets quite dim at over 300x, so it surprises me when some claim to have successfully used 400x or even 500x with 100 mm scopes, to my eyes at least the resultant image would be very dim. 

I attach my best image from last night taken through my 14in Newtonian (possibly a bit over processed), which shows Syrtis Major, Hellas, Aeria and Sinus Sabaeus quite clearly. I also attach an image taken just 13 days earlier on 15.09.20, and I think you can notice a significant shrinkage of the SPC  between the images.  Both images were taken using eyepiece projection with a 9.7 mm Plossl, and processed in PIPP, Registax and Lightroom

John 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by johnturley

[scarp15]

Finally got a dedicated Mars session last night. My backyard has a good due south aspect which meant I did not begin until 1am (the chimney stack being the factor). I had set up my VX8L, some slight haze, which was an advantage and switched between using DeLite eyepieces from 18mm up to 4mm 300x, I cannot speak highly enough of this line of eyepieces and I wish i'd had the 3mm. Features were very distinguished and as John had implied the bright button of the South Polar Cap pronounced. There was a pinkish tint across the northern mare region, I wasn't using a filter, which was not necessary (nor did I have one). Within Syrtis Major, there were also some darker edges and can only describe as dark fingers; gaining an education on the topography through reading other members descriptions is very informative.  

[Fozzie]

Did any body pick out any Martian moons last night..  I had a tiny spot of light to the north of the planet (below), wondered what that would have been..?  (South was at 12ocklock and syrtis major at 9, the way i was viewing)