Mars is absolutely astonishing through my XT8. Wow wow wow.

[mikeDnight]

46 minutes ago, Stu said:

Are there different coordinate systems Mike? This NASA reference puts Olympus Mons at 224.76 East and SkySafari says a similar 226 degrees, what’s the difference?

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/multimedia/pia12992.html

Not that I'm aware of Stu. I've attached a couple of images of a topographical globe showing the coordinates of Olympus Mons showing it to be W130° ish, and the Herschel crater at around W230°.

Edited August 29, 2020 by mikeDnight

[Stu]

10 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Not that I'm aware of Stu. I've attached a couple of images of a topographical globe showing the coordinates of Olympus Mons showing it to be W130° ish, and the Herschel crater at around W230°.

Indeed it does, but it also shows Olympus Mons at about 225 East and Herschel at about 130 East, so I guess it depends if you quote East or West. Mystery solved!

[mikeDnight]

26 minutes ago, Stu said:

Indeed it does, but it also shows Olympus Mons at about 225 East and Herschel at about 130 East, so I guess it depends if you quote East or West. Mystery solved!

Johnturley posted a nice image he captured at 00.30 27/8/20 in the imaging forum, just a short time after my own observation, and states the CM to be around 250°. I imagine the BAA handbook to be pretty accurate, and with Syrtis Major coming onto the globe on the right of the image, it does place John's CM estimate to be approximately on target. So reading coordinates from Skysafari appears to be somewhat misleading. Maybe others can shed more light on this curious problem! May be Skysafari made the SatNav built into my car? 

Edited August 29, 2020 by mikeDnight

[Stu]

12 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Johnturley posted a nice image he captured at 00.30 27/8/20 in the imaging forum, just a short time after my own observation, and states the CM to be around 250°. I imagine the BAA handbook to be pretty accurate, and with Syrtis Major coming onto the globe on the right of the image, it does place John's CM estimate to be approximately on target. So reading coordinates from Skysafari appears to be somewhat misleading. Maybe others can shed more light on this curious problem! May be Skysafari made the SatNav built into my car? 

Think you are missing the point Mike, SkySafari agreed with the East coordinates shown on your Mars globe, so both are right 👍👍

[mikeDnight]

Thanks Stu. I think its time for my nap! 

[MKHACHFE]

18 hours ago, LeeHore7 said:

No way was your post pointless, the excitement when viewing anything in the night sky through a telescope or binoculars is amazing and makes you feel like a kid again, seeing things you've only seen in books or photos, I'll never forget the first time I saw Jupiter and 4 moons, cassini Division on Saturn, Mars, Venus and the dso's I've seen so far, just makes you want more each time, I get  the butterfly experience in stomach when viewing abd only really started in April this year, so much more to see and image, can't wait for Mars to get closer in October, clear skies everyone 😁

Cheers mate.😀

I know what you mean about that "first" great view. For me, after getting my XT8 just over a year ago,  I pointed it at Jupiter, expecting to just see a bright blob with 4 moons.

I was astonished at what I could see. Cloud bands and the red spot. Incredible.

Having those first"wow" moments is just wonderful.

 

Cheers

[MKHACHFE]

18 hours ago, LeeHore7 said:

No way was your post pointless, the excitement when viewing anything in the night sky through a telescope or binoculars is amazing and makes you feel like a kid again, seeing things you've only seen in books or photos, I'll never forget the first time I saw Jupiter and 4 moons, cassini Division on Saturn, Mars, Venus and the dso's I've seen so far, just makes you want more each time, I get  the butterfly experience in stomach when viewing abd only really started in April this year, so much more to see and image, can't wait for Mars to get closer in October, clear skies everyone 😁

Cheers mate.😀

I know what you mean about that "first" great view. For me, after getting my XT8 just over a year ago,  I pointed it at Jupiter, expecting to just see a bright blob with 4 moons.

I was astonished at what I could see. Cloud bands and the red spot. Incredible.

Having those first"wow" moments is just wonderful.

 

Cheers

On 28/08/2020 at 07:58, RobertI said:

Interesting, but slightly depressing too! Still, we must make the most of what we have!

Back in January this year, I wound the clock back 40 years to see what the sky looked like when I first started astronomy as a teenager, I think I was spoiled........

Hopefully by then, Jupiter and Saturn will be in good positions for us northern hemisphere dwellers. 

That will be nice. 

 

Cheers

[chiltonstar]

23 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

 

 

 

I'm not sure if its of any interest but I've attached the grid I made from 2016 showing the features which match the BAA coordinates. Folding the map round to roughly show the CM at the time of the sketch, Syrtis Minor appears to the right. The grid is mirror reversed and so is only of use to refractor or Cass users, as it shows how features may appear through the eyepiece of a small aperture scope. Details are as exact as only roughly, almost, approximate allows, but useful to me all the same. If 129° were the meridian Olympus Mons would have been pretty much central. The cylindrical grid chart shows the polar regions as they appear through the telescope.☺

In 2016 the northern hemisphere was tilted toward us. Looking at my 2016 globe from roughly the same angle as Mars now appears in 2020, the same meridian shows the features in the sketch, with Hellas on the lower right limb and Syrtis Major on the limb just coming onto the disk.

I'm always impressed by your stunning sketches Mike - something way beyond me because in the words of my art teacher at school "you have the artistic skills of a carrot, boy!"

I see the BAA website has a collection of maps as well - very interesting. Browsing through a stack of old Astronomy Now magazines (on their way to the recycling bin) I also found a poster from AN with an observer's view of Mars on one side, and a much more detailed Explorer's view on the other. Might be a good one to work from at the eyepiece after lamination. It doesn't seem to be available from AN as a proper poster unfortunately.

Chris

[Fraunhoffer]

Thanks for the encouragement to look at Mars. It's just clearing the trees and houses before daybreak for me. Next clear sky I will defo be up early to look.

I missed it last time around, so this will be first for a long time. Looking forward to it.