Mars 8 Oct 2020

[geoflewis]

I've just come in from my observatory after a long session with Mars, primarily to image it, but am posting here as after capturing lots of data I couldn't resist taking a peek with my Mk1 eyeballs.

With Mars just past the meridian up at 43 deg from my location and 100% phase, I thought I'd pop my new Baader bino-viewers in to the x2 powermate, with a pair of 19mm TV Panoptics. I experience really gorgeous views at ~x400 magnification. Mars was a rich orange/red colour, with several dark bands seen, the main one marking Mare Cimmerium and Syrtis Minor. Lots of detail on show, including the south polar cap, blue clouds over the north polar region and along the Martian limb and the bright peak of Elysium Mons also visible. My best visual session with Mars ever, the bino-viewers really show Mars as the globe that it is. Seeing those blue clouds over the north pole and along the limb was a beautiful experience. The only problem was there was a lot of dew forming, so the eyepieces and my glasses kept misting over. I found that the best method was to wear my specs, but have them perched on my nose well away from my eyes, which kept watering due to the cold....

It was a really fun session, wish I'd had someone to share it with.

I'll process the data in the coming couple of days and post the results under imaging.

Edited October 9, 2020 by geoflewis

[RobertI]

4 hours ago, geoflewis said:

I found that the best method was to wear my specs, but have them perched on my nose well away from my eyes, which kept watering due to the cold....

The things we go through for a good view! 😃

Sounds like the views were superb. Was this the C14 or the 100mm? 

Edited October 9, 2020 by RobertI

[chiltonstar]

It was a lovely sight last night, wasn't - despite the dew! I seem to have cured it on the scope, but the finder still drips.

Chris

[Nik271]

Very nice!

Mars was looking good for me too just after midnight last night. With a 180mm Mak at x300 I could spot  a bright band to the east and south of Mare Cimmerium, I think it was Hesperia and Eridania. I left the scope under a towel for some winter stars observing in the morning but the dew formed the moment I opened the front cover. These Maks are dew magnets.

Lets hope we get some good seeing in the next few days! Forecast looks promising ... 🙏

Nikolay 

[davidc135]

An evening of beautiful seeing here on the Welsh borders, Mars sharply outlined and still for stretches. Mag x170 to x266.

At 21.00 U.T Mare  sirenum, cimmerium and tyrrhenum spanned much of the disc whilst a band was also visible half-way down towards the SPC. I think this was M. chromium separated from the northern mare by eridania? If I have that right. The SPC itself was relatively faint and I couldn't make out much at all in the Northern hemisphere. It seemed that the whole planet's edge was lightly bordered but that may have been an observing artifact(?)

Although my 8'' Meade sct is a fine scope I wonder how much more a larger or top end instrument would show in such good conditions.

David

Edited October 9, 2020 by davidc135

[markse68]

8 hours ago, geoflewis said:

the bright peak of Elysium Mons also visible

Mars was excellent here too- helped by complete lack of wind which always makes viewing more pleasurable  Good spot on Elysium Mons- I’ll keep an eye out for it over next few sessions- I didn’t notice it last night 

Mark

[geoflewis]

3 hours ago, RobertI said:

The things we go through for a good view! 😃

Sounds like the views were superb. Was this the C14 or the 100mm? 

Yes, I love visual, both at the scope and with binoculars, but since my eyesight deteriorated I find visual observing can be quite challenging. The bino-viewers give that stereo eye vision feeling, but with the specs on it takes some getting used to, but at least specs prevented the eyepieces becoming misted from my watering eyes. This was with the C14, just stunning views at x400 magnification.

[geoflewis]

5 minutes ago, markse68 said:

Mars was excellent here too- helped by complete lack of wind which always makes viewing more pleasurable  Good spot on Elysium Mons- I’ll keep an eye out for it over next few sessions- I didn’t notice it last night 

Mark

Yes, I was very pleased to confirm the sighting of E Mons by reference to on line graphics.

[geoflewis]

For the visual observers amongst us that may be interersted, I have just posted the image from my data capture session last night.