First Mars observing report

[Rob]

Well 'at last' I managed to get out with the 127 mak and view Mars. Wow.... how good is this scope!, like James I'm blown away by the detail available in the eyepiece.. I used a Orion shorty Apo barlow & 17mm Nexstar Super plossl. Lovely details shown + using the the NEODYMIUM filter really made a difference on contrast without giving a false colour view. I did however notice a slight red & white blur style glow off the right planet while focusing, not sure but I think this has already been mentioned before?.

Any how really enjoyed standing in the cold till 1am in the garden, the new powerstation ran the due zapper & laptop fine!. I did try some imaging but it was either too bright, or slightly fuzzy on screen??? :?

I also used the Series 4000 mead Plossl un barlowed - that produced a nice image at the EP also.

Rob

[AndyMac]

Hi Rob

Great to read an enthusiatic report on observing. Mars is my favourite planet, too. Just a pity that it's only a decent size every 2 years or so. I'm a bit stuck observing it as my observatory roof is up the creek.

[OXO]

Nice report Rob also great to hear someone managed to get out there with all the Rubbish weather about at the moment.

Your right this scope does give splendid views for it's size, that effect on mars you talked about could be from 2 things i think, 1. scope not cooled down enough? 2.Atmospheric conditions? I got this effect when i observed mars after only 10mins cool down time but later it went away...

James

[Rob]

It can't be a cool down issue. the scope lives in the shed, then came out at 9.30pm and I still noticed the bright fingernail effect at 12.30am??!!!... It maybe seeing conditions, although I wondered if it was my EP's?

Some of the pictures posted do indicate the same effect... the filter calmed it down & and produced the thin thumbnail of red.

Rob

[OXO]

From what i have been told with regards to images of Mars with the ring effect/finger nail It's something to do with the infrared? Must say though i only see this in my images not in the eyepiece i will try again tonight as i wait for mars to clear the houses with some poorer ep's matey and let you know what i see..

Thanks

James

[Rob]

Humm.... I had a look at the images posted. Heres one from russ that shows the white fingernail slightly.. when i focus in and out uts quite visible I must say James...

http://stargazerslounge.co.uk/index.php/topic,649.0.html

Rob

[OXO]

It's certainly in russ's images too with his C8 also my 8" scope too....

I'll check and let you know how i get on tonight Rob..

James

[Rob]

Cheers James... It did not spoil the observing session, just kinda bugging me!!

[OXO]

Most amazing view of mars ever tonight not imaging so good but the views wow, i cannot see any finger nail effect visually Rob tried every single ep i have sorry. From the skywatcher ep's you get with telescope's(cheaper) to sibert optics(premuim) also used 2x barlows and stacked two with 18mm ep(scopetronix) no sign of it......

James

[russ]

Ahh that's what you mean Rob. That's an atmospheric problem on mine and James's images. Registax doesn't do a very good job of fishing out the effected images. When sifting through the AVI by hand you can really see the effect. Stacking by hand almost removes it and shifting the RGB channels also helps.

Doesn't explain why your visual view looks like our images. Like James, my view visuallly doesn't show that effect, except in the unbarlowed Meade 4000 26mm (just will not give a sharp disk). The 15mm Antares Elite is ultra sharp whether barlowed or not.

Collimation springs to mind. Have you checked an out of focus star at high power?

Russ

[Rob]

I have checked the collimation in the form of a star test dohnut jobby. all looks fine?.

:?