Help with viewing mars

[Keaysy]

Hi I’ve got a eaconn  600 mm opticsl tube length in and 80 mmm length diameter what is the best eye piece fir me view mars in full detail  photo of scope attached I have a k 20mm which came with it and a k9mm 

[Sunshine]

This past summer I have been viewing Mars in my 8 inch dobsonian and even then, Mars was an underwhelming speck, an orange dot. Unfortunately Mars is not close enough in it’s orbit relative to earth for much detail to be seen, especially with 80mm of aperture. 

Edited January 4 by Sunshine

[Keaysy]

Please talk to me like your talking to someone that has never used a telescope lol this is my first time . Is my telescope a good one it is itbaverage honest opinion plz 

 

[Bivanus]

Hello @Keaysy, if you are using it actively then is good enough for starters.Hubble it ain't then again mine is neither 😄 What it will make it a bit tricky is the 45 degree diagonal you seem to have, that is for land use as spotting scope, a 90 degree diagonal is better for astronomy.

What I think Sunshine is trying to tell you is that Mars is far away from Earth so not a good target. Did you try to look at Jupiter and Saturn? I usually use a 72mm scope and manage to see those nicely , bracket them with the 20 mm and then switch to the 9 mm for better detail. Don't expect too much details , just some very thin lines on Jupiter and the rings of Saturn - depending of the viewing quality you may see it as a blob with "ears"  or a bit better defined if it's good seeing.Also interesting and easy are the phases of Venus , you can find on the web when is 'half moon' or 'sickle' and look at it to see how an aparent round point (with naked eye) has a surprisingly different shape when saw by telescope. And of course, the Moon  🌙 is always a good subject.

Regarding the "never used a scope" there is always a beginning to anything. Read a bit , and install one of the free apps on your phone to identify more easily the celestial objects, I use Stelarium , there are other too, you point them at the sky and you see what's on , can search for a planet for example and see it's below or above the horizon and when it will be visible.

 

[Cosmic Geoff]

Study this table carefully, after setting it for your position on Earth:

https://heavens-above.com/PlanetSummary.aspx?lat=51.993&lng=-0.7242&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=GMT

I draw your attention to the angular size of Mars, and the time it is highest in the sky (meridian crossing).

What do you think is the likelihood of seeing anything of Mars with your telescope?

Compare with the view of Jupiter which you should be able to find any evening.

[Sunshine]

5 hours ago, Keaysy said:

Please talk to me like your talking to someone that has never used a telescope lol

What i meant to say is, even while using a much larger telescope I am unable to see Mars as much more than a tiny, orange dot at the moment as it is too far from us. As mentioned above, Jupiter and also the moon will make for more interesting targets which are within the grasp of your scope. There are two books which you will greatly benefit from, either one are considered the beginners bible and pretty much have set us all off on this hobby, “turn left at Orion” or “Nightwatch” by Terrence Dickinson. These are both available on Amazon, you will love either one. Your scope will get you started but it is important you understand it is small and has limited ability to gather light. A telescope gathers light from objects, the larger the scope, the more light they can gather and hence the more detais they show. 

[bosun21]

If planets are your targets I would change to a 90 degree diagonal and purchase a barlow lens. In the future you may want to consider upgrading your eyepieces as Kellners aren’t the best optical quality.

[Bugdozer]

2 hours ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

Study this table carefully, after setting it for your position on Earth:

https://heavens-above.com/PlanetSummary.aspx?lat=51.993&lng=-0.7242&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=GMT

I draw your attention to the angular size of Mars, and the time it is highest in the sky (meridian crossing).

What do you think is the likelihood of seeing anything of Mars with your telescope?

Compare with the view of Jupiter which you should be able to find any evening.

I think Mars currently being less than half the angular size of Mercury right now really puts how small it will look into perspective. 

[Tiny Clanger]

6 hours ago, Keaysy said:

Please talk to me like your talking to someone that has never used a telescope lol this is my first time . Is my telescope a good one it is itbaverage honest opinion plz 

 

Okay !

Mars is so far away right now it would look tiny even in a big expensive telescope. The next time it will be relatively close to us is the winter of 2024/5. At that time, expect it to appear this sort of size compared with other things in the sky :

That's from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angular_diameter the caption says

"Comparison of angular diameter of the Sun, Moon and planets. To get a true representation of the sizes, view the image at a distance of 103 times the width of the "Moon: max." circle. For example, if this circle is 5 cm wide on your monitor, view it from 5.15 m away."     The largest circle is the angular size of the Moon

 

Is this your 'scope ?

https://www.amazon.com/Telescopes-Astronomy-Refractor-Telescope-Telescopio/dp/B094CDL8H5

If so it is probably not going to give you want with Mars, even when the planet is closest to us. Don't give up though, try looking at some easier targets, the Moon would likely be best.

 

[Gonariu]

For the 2020 opposition with an achromatic 80/400 on Mars I saw something (Syrtis Maior, Hellas, the south polar cap), but it was still a "good" opposition, the planet had a size of 22.6" at the minimum distance. In the last opposition (December 2022), Mars was smaller (a good 17") and more difficult, the next one will be in January 2025 and will be even more unfavorable (the planet will have a size of 14" at the minimum distance Your telescope, having a longer focal length than my 80/400, is better corrected for chromatism and spherical aberration. Bear in mind that planetary observation is difficult and it takes some training to distinguish the details you see shown in some drawings (I won't mention photography because with today's sensors more details are recorded than visual observation), at first a planet appears as a small and colored sphere. Start practicing with easy objects like the Moon , Venus (in the morning), Jupiter and Saturn (visible in the evening) are the brightest messier objects (M42 and M45 are very beautiful and always convincing).

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Look to the South this week at around 6.30AM and that enormously bright object is Venus.  Have a look at that, you won't make out any surface detail (you can't, it's permanently covered in cloud) but you can't miss it.

[powerlord]

Whats wrong with the moon ? Have a good look at that. Easy too see, even if it's a bit cloudy.

Good luck

[Gonariu]

23 hours ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

Look to the South this week at around 6.30AM and that enormously bright object is Venus.  Have a look at that, you won't make out any surface detail (you can't, it's permanently covered in cloud) but you can't miss it.

Venus is always beautiful to see, even with a small telescope, when I was a teenager I saw it well at twilight with an achromatic 60/700; even an 80/600 at X100 will certainly give a nice view. By obtaining a special full-aperture solar filter either made of glass or with a special film (mylar, astrosolar or glass; ATTENTION: never without it, under penalty of irreversible loss of the eye) with an 80/600 one can make some nice observations; on my achromatic 80/400 I use a full-aperture glass solar filter that I bought a few years ago at half the price, on the X50 I often draw the visible spots on the disc.

[maw lod qan]

Be patient for Mars. To say jokingly it's not going anywhere would be wrong.

It's moving around in its orbit and will get better for viewing!

There are lots of things to view, and like others have said, don't pass up the moon. It's incredible!

[Roy Challen]

Mars through a small telescope won't reveal much detail, even when it is nearest to earth.

The picture below is of Mars and the Moon, taken with my phone through a 90mm Maksutov, focal length of 1250mm.

Mars was at opposition during this event, so about as close as it gets to us.

Don't stop trying though, but focus on other objects as well.