Fantastic solar system Tour!

[part timer]

Went out for quick session at night at about 8. Came in at 1AM!Normally my first comment is on the poor quality of my seeing but not this time!

Started with Venus in the ST80. Had to use this scope as my TAL can't access that part of the sky. Despite the CA the phase was easily seen through a polarising filter.

Then I moved to the TAL for a 'quick look' at the moon. It was immediately apparent that last night was something special. The air was as still as I've ever seen it. I was getting a level of detail on the moon which I have never seen in 15-20 years of observing.

I was able to take the TAL up to ridiculous magnifications and the image held firm and sharp. At one stage, I used 3X Barlow and 8 mm TS to give 450x and I never went below 300x. I got several glimpses of a section of the central rille in the alpine valley which is pretty darn amazing in a 6" Newt.

Detail in craters right up to the Lunar limb was incredible giving a true feeling of being in orbit.

Saturn was perfectly oblate and the image was the sort to make a Cassini imager weep. The rings were given a wonderfully sharp 'perspective' that really made the view seem '3D'.

Mars was showing a similar level of detail to my best ever Mars views earlier this year. And this when the red planet is now much smaller and more distant! Both poles were clear and markings and shading were particularly obvious on the eastern limb area (at least I think it was east!)

Then back to the Moon until clouds reduced the quality of view at about 1 AM. Packed up and almost danced to bed with many incredible images seemingly burned into my retina!

[pvaz]

Great report!

Seams like you made the most of the excellent, and rare, conditions.

[Doc]

Great report. I agree the moon was very good last night, the rest of the sky was pretty pants though.

[John]

What a great observing report - really motivating

..... I got several glimpses of a section of the central rille in the alpine valley which is pretty darn amazing in a 6" Newt....

This is a great achievement IMHO - it's been on my list to try and spot this rille in the AV for ages but I've not succeeded thus far - really well done

[part timer]

Yes Doc,

the thin haze drowned out deep sky but TBH, I can live with that given the usual murky, skies I get. Living in a city usually means extra turbulence and smog. So this clear patch has been (literally) a blast of fresh air.

After so long you start to doubt the quality of optics in your telescopes, but last night showed that there is nowt wrong there!

Pvaz, Thanks! Unfortunatly, rare is only too true!

[part timer]

John,

It's been on my wish list for many years but I didn't think I'd ever catch it in the 6".

In the first couple of hours when conditions were perfect it was there. Not the whole rille, but quite a large section of it closer to the mountains. I moved it in and out of the field and spent some time on different parts of the moon and on Saturn before coming back too check I was actually seeing it and I was. Later I tried again when the conditions were still very good but not perfect and it was no longer visible.

It really was the most satisfying part of very satisfying night!