mars Observing mars

[Pincs]

Hi, I got a skywatcher classic 200p just before xmas and I havnt done much planet viewing due to not having more than a 10mm eyepiece for magnification. I recently got a 2x barlow lens and tried viewing last night with a barlow and 10mm lens and it came out very blurry and I couldn't see any detail and it still seemed quite small. I was viewing on a close night when there was a break in the clouds so may have not been the best conditions. Any tips for how much magnification I need and how to see it better. Thanks.

[wookie1965]

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-equipment/choosing-your-telescopes-magnification/

Great article here explains everything at high power you really need good seeing and transparency as you found out using the barlow giving you a 5mm eyepiece if your scope has a focal length of 1000mm  that would give you x200 magnification.

[Mr Spock]

x200 should bring out detail. You'll need good seeing though. 

[Zermelo]

Conditions may not have been ideal, and Mars looks very small compared with most objects.

Your problem is most likely to be that the stock 10mm eyepiece supplied isn't brilliant (they often aren't), and by barlowing it up, you're just magnifying an image that wasn't good to start with.

At 1000mm/10mm = 100x you should get some useful magnification for planets. If the viewing conditions weren't great then pushing it to 200x with a barlow may have been too much.

You could consider getting a better eyepiece for higher magnification work. One of these will be a noticeable improvement. Perhaps an 8mm which would give you 125x, and then on very good evenings you might get away with barlowing to 250x on the right target.

[John]

I find that 200x - 250x is needed, if the conditions (the seeing) allows that to be used.

Mars is very small now and getting smaller so seeing any details on it is pretty challenging.

A cooled and colimated scope is essential and lots of patience !

 

[Pincs]

Thanks for the replies ill look in to other eyepieces and magnification, I have got a slightly better quality 15mm celestron eyepiece, do you think that with barlow would be better than the 10mm?

[dweller25]

The 10mm plus Barlow should be good, but .....

Collimation must be good.

The scope must be fully cooled.

Sky seeing must be good.

If all the above come together you will get the best view of a very small and distant Mars - it’s months past it best now - but do try......