This morning I had to get up early for a conf. call with my colleague in Scotland and lo & hold, the sky is clear and Mars was riding high
in the sky! I've been getting my morning clouds every mornings :-(.
At 5am, out went my TV-102 Light Cup so fast (I still had it mounted on my Vixen SP mount last night from watching the Moon). Totally
unprepared was I. The TV-102 went from 75d F inside to 65d F outside. At 44x (TV Plossl), I could see Mars in two or three orange disc due to lack of acclamation. Amazingly, it was immediately useable nevertheless and I watched it at 110x (8mm Radian) for a few minutes.
After 5 minutes, the view was stable enough to clearly see the SPC along with some dark surface features. I switched to 146x (6mm
Radian) for a grand view. Mars my most loved planet has returned! Switching to 176x (5mm TMB SuperMono), the view has stabilized shortly after 5 minutes and I could make out Syrtis Major near the terminator along with Hellas. Didn't have my Mars map with me to
make out the rest. I used my Baader Moon & Sky Glow filter for a natural view which turned Mars pinkish but also bring out the SPC very brilliantly while enhancing the albedo. I then played with y 2-4mm Nagler zoom. Incredible! The seeing was Antoniadi II-III.
It's so great to bring Mars "closer & closer" by simply twisting the knob. I still got a grand view at 3mm (293x) and still a nice
view at 2.5mm (352x) and somewhat soft view at 2mm (440x!). Judging from the sharpness of the view between 4mm-3mm, I can now see the Nagler zoom is a Mars eyepiece. I'm itching so badly on that 3-6mm zoom now. Incidentally, the polar cap looked smaller to me than I remembered in 2003 when Mars was around this size. This quickie observation ended at 5:40am. There is no other telescope design
that can afford such quickie, so totally unprepared observation almost instantly.
The time to see Mars through your 4-inch Tele Vue (and of course 'em lucky you with the NP127) is now which is 10.3 arcsec in size.
I'm waiting for my Tele Vue Mars Type B filter to get here this week. My Light Cup and I look forward to see everyone share their Mars experience this year.
Ron B[ee]
in the sky! I've been getting my morning clouds every mornings :-(.
At 5am, out went my TV-102 Light Cup so fast (I still had it mounted on my Vixen SP mount last night from watching the Moon). Totally
unprepared was I. The TV-102 went from 75d F inside to 65d F outside. At 44x (TV Plossl), I could see Mars in two or three orange disc due to lack of acclamation. Amazingly, it was immediately useable nevertheless and I watched it at 110x (8mm Radian) for a few minutes.
After 5 minutes, the view was stable enough to clearly see the SPC along with some dark surface features. I switched to 146x (6mm
Radian) for a grand view. Mars my most loved planet has returned! Switching to 176x (5mm TMB SuperMono), the view has stabilized shortly after 5 minutes and I could make out Syrtis Major near the terminator along with Hellas. Didn't have my Mars map with me to
make out the rest. I used my Baader Moon & Sky Glow filter for a natural view which turned Mars pinkish but also bring out the SPC very brilliantly while enhancing the albedo. I then played with y 2-4mm Nagler zoom. Incredible! The seeing was Antoniadi II-III.
It's so great to bring Mars "closer & closer" by simply twisting the knob. I still got a grand view at 3mm (293x) and still a nice
view at 2.5mm (352x) and somewhat soft view at 2mm (440x!). Judging from the sharpness of the view between 4mm-3mm, I can now see the Nagler zoom is a Mars eyepiece. I'm itching so badly on that 3-6mm zoom now. Incidentally, the polar cap looked smaller to me than I remembered in 2003 when Mars was around this size. This quickie observation ended at 5:40am. There is no other telescope design
that can afford such quickie, so totally unprepared observation almost instantly.
The time to see Mars through your 4-inch Tele Vue (and of course 'em lucky you with the NP127) is now which is 10.3 arcsec in size.
I'm waiting for my Tele Vue Mars Type B filter to get here this week. My Light Cup and I look forward to see everyone share their Mars experience this year.
Ron B[ee]
