I'm just typing this out while I wait for Mars to pop out from behind my chimney pot

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

Hi 

Wow! What an increda-bubble night for viewing. Defs the best I have ever witnessed in my short but passionate astronomy journey. Not because it's completely clear but because there is virtually no visible low altitude atmospheric turbulence here ( 38 north 78 west)

Absolutely sensational views of Jupiter & Saturn tonight, amazing. I was able to get very clear images - honestly - at 400X (7mm eyepiece at 2800 focal length) I got Saturn using a Tele Vue 5X Power Mate with an 18mm eyepiece. Amazing view - Cassini Division crisp and very clear. Beautiful and inspiring.   

I'm just typing this out while I wait for Mars to pop out from behind my chimney pot and into Cubble's waiting 32mm eyepiece (my favourite) and then into his 12mm with filter. 

Thank you to everyone who commented on my recent Mars observing tips thread - I haven't replied yet but I will, I am about to deploy many of the great hints and tips I received, thank you. 

Hope you're having as good an evening as I am and lapping up these amazing conditions! 

Siouxsie 

Edited September 22, 2020 by Cornelius Varley
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[Geoff Barnes]

Great to hear your enthusiasm Siouxsie, it's amazing when it all comes together like that!

You're as far north (Virginia?) as I am south in Melbourne, but with very different views!

I will have to be patient to see Mars in about a month when it clears our trees. Could do with some of your clear and steady seeing, it has been pretty poor down here for too long. 😁

Edited September 22, 2020 by Geoff Barnes

[Saganite]

Excellent !

It was pretty special for planetary viewing.....

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

Well Mars did appear and I got some lovely views. I was able to clearly make out the southern polar cap, and the major geographic features were clearly visible. I was tretaed to all this in a beautiful spectrum of salmon pink / baby blue / fawn / and white.

What worked best = 12mm 1.25 Celestron Excel with 80A Medium Blue filter stacked to a generic Celestron 'Moon and SkyGlow' filter 

With my 11" SCT at focal length 2800 that eyepiece gave me  233X magnification. I did push it as far as 350X but I lost detail. (Note - conditions were so great tonight that I was able to observe Saturn and Jupiter in good detail at 400X.)

Edited September 22, 2020 by Cornelius Varley
colour removed