Tony Donnangelo and I observed Mars (and much else as well) from dark sites on Friday and Saturday nights using his 14.5" Starmaster Dob and my 101mm Tele Vue Genesis sdf refractor. Surface features such as the retreating SPC, Hellas, Syrtis Major, Sinus Sabaeus, and Sinus Meridiani were easily seen with the Starmaster. Images were stunning at over 300x. Hellas was bright and oval in shape. Limb clouds or frosts were also seen on the following limb.
The use of an apodizing (or apodising as the case may be) mask on Tony's Newtonian produced excellent results despite the controversy that apodizers seem to engender. Filters used included Wratten #21, 23, 47, and 80A, as well as the Sirius MV-1 and Lumicon Deepsky. On Saturday night thin clouds served as an excellent natural filter at times.
Dave Mitsky
The use of an apodizing (or apodising as the case may be) mask on Tony's Newtonian produced excellent results despite the controversy that apodizers seem to engender. Filters used included Wratten #21, 23, 47, and 80A, as well as the Sirius MV-1 and Lumicon Deepsky. On Saturday night thin clouds served as an excellent natural filter at times.
Dave Mitsky
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
