Help with Mars (uo)

[snowking]

I can see Mars at the moment (23.30) I see an object below it and an object above it both which are faint. Not exactly above below, a little tilted.

Looking st Starry Night the 2 moons and a star of Leo are on the same side so I am confused as to what is on the opposite side.

I am viewing from Liverpool (UK).

Also as Mars is a bit bright is there a filter I should use to bring out some of the detail as well as higher mag?

Using a Heritage 130P and 10mm (65x) EP

Thanks

[Capricorn]

Looking st Starry Night the 2 moons and a star of Leo are on the same side so I am confused as to what is on the opposite side.

I am confused by the mention of the 2 moons. You cannot see the Martian moons and we have just the one.

Mars should be lying to the right (South) of Leo's main star Rigulus.

Above where Mars should be is the star that would be the "nose" of Leo for want of a better description: Epsilon Leo if I read right.

As to the one below I can see one option as Alpharad in Hydra, although that is some way below. There is another star that is on a line extended from Denebola and Rigulas (both of Leo). But that is un-named in the stuff I have to hand. It would be faint and in about the right position from what you have described.

Mars isn't bright, so filters for it seem to be a strange question. To see any detail you will need something like 150-200x mag and a mirror of 200-300mm dia in order to get sufficent light to support that magnification. That is why you saying mars is a bit bright seems odd, you need a lot more to make out anything.

[Pollux]

Mars does indeed have 2 satellites 'Deimos' and 'Phobos'... but, I'd be amazed if you're seeing them thro your scope @ that mag!!!

I've never found it that bright as to need filtering...

Sorry, maybe someone more experienced can solve this?

Mark

[snowking]

Yes I am sure I didn't see the moons but I was confused by an object on opposite sides of Mars which I couldn't find on Starry Night. I looked at it a good few times to make sure I could see those objects but still baffled as to what they were.

Thanks anyways

[solarwallace]

Hi SnowKing

I also found Mars to be a surprisingly bright object and it's easy enough to find at the moment. If the sky clears anytime in January I might get another go.

Have a look at a similar thread I started called 'Viewing Mars' on the 21st December (in the Beginners section). Should be:

http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/93519-viewing-mars.html

There's abit more advice in that thread to save people repeating themselves.

Cheers,

Steve.

[Wizz]

Mars should be fine looking through the scope and eyepiece you have, definetely not too bright.

When you say there are two faint objects next to Mars do you mean actually touching the disc or on the outer FOV?

[snowking]

I could see space between mars and the "objects" which were small dots.

And @ Stave thanks for the link.

[Wizz]

I was wondering if you scope wasn't collimated properly and could have been possibly diffraction spikes but sounds like that isn't the case.