Splendid Mars

[John]

An unexpectedly clearer evening following a predominently cloudy / rainy day led me to put my ED120 refractor out to cool.

Mars is the obvious target right now and it's showing very well despite the threads of cloud pushing in from time to time. I'm using the Nagler 2-4 zoom for 225x - 300x. 3.5mm is providing the best views over all with what I think are the the following features showing:

- Syrtis Major

- Iapygia

- Libya (a pale area)

- Mare Tyrrhenum

- Syrtis Minor

- Mare Cimmerium

- Utopia

- North Polar Cap

- Traces of Trivium Charontis area and other darker patches on the pale plains to the N of Syrtis Major / Mare Tyrrenum / Mare Cimmerium dark masses.

Best views this opposition ? - quite possibly

 

[paul mc c]

Nice one,i just had the scope out with the same thing in mind, but seeing is terrible here,worst i have seen i think.

[chiltonstar]

I had a wonderful Mars night last night, but this evening is 100% cloud.......

Chris

[John]

I feel that I got lucky tonight. Many more clouds now so the scope is back in the greenhouse while I wait things out .....

 

[John]

Scope is back inside now - 98% cloud cover again !

Just was well that I've got alternatives to the dob though - with Mars and Saturn where they are it's impossible for me to get a dob mounted scope on them.

While it was clear, the seeing here earlier was pretty good. Zeta Herculis showed a very close but clean split which is a sign of good seeing around here.

I'm hankering after a larger frac again now ....... the views are just so nice

[chiltonstar]

6 hours ago, John said:

 

I'm hankering after a larger frac again now ....... the views are just so nice

Hyperaperturitis......isn't the treatment very expensive?

Chris

[Obsession 30]

16 minutes ago, chiltonstar said:

Hyperaperturitis......isn't the treatment very expensive?

Chris

Very expensive treatment and you can relapse very easily 

[laudropb]

Nice report. Glad you managed some good seeing. Still clouded out here.

[Pondus]

Given up on this opposition (and the 2018 one).

It is however nice to see other Northern hemisphere observers getting good views of this planet this time around,

and of course it is always Nice to read the reports .

 

Rune

[John]

Got the Tak FC100DL out there tonight. More Martian action I hope

[John]

Had a nice time last night on Jupiter, Mars, the Moon and Saturn. Plus quite a few tight binary stars

I had the Tak FC100 and the Vixen ED102SS on the mount at the same time so I could switch between them. Fascinating stuff and both scopes performed admirably

Late in the session the Syrtis Major on Mars had moved towards the central meridian of the planet and was really prominent - it really does look the shape of Africa or India projecting towards the equator of the planet.

What constantly amazes me about the Tak 100 is it's ability to operate at 200x plus without effort. I forgot that it was "just" a 3.9" scope and was using power that the ED120 handles (257x) for long periods on the targets listed above with the detail staying constantly good and well defined. The Vixen does very well for an F/6.5 but can't quite keep up with the Tak in this respect.

 

 

[chiltonstar]

I got  a superb view of some black clouds.....

Chris

[Size9Hex]

On 19 June 2016 at 10:15, John said:

Late in the session the Syrtis Major on Mars had moved towards the central meridian of the planet and was really prominent - it really does look the shape of Africa or India projecting towards the equator of the planet.

Lovely to read of such a nice couple of sessions. Glad you had some great views.

What an experience it would be to look back at our own planet through a scope and pick up the familiar shapes you describe!

[Piero]

On 19/06/2016 at 10:15, John said:

What constantly amazes me about the Tak 100 is it's ability to operate at 200x plus without effort. I forgot that it was "just" a 3.9" scope and was using power that the ED120 handles (257x) for long periods on the targets listed above with the detail staying constantly good and well defined. The Vixen does very well for an F/6.5 but can't quite keep up with the Tak in this respect.

These great optics really give terrific views for their aperture! 

Glad that you are very pleased with your new telescope. It's a dream one!