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It was time to give the Celestron Astromaster 90 (3.5” F/11.1) achromat a crack at Mars:
Mounted on the Celestron Nexstar GOTO with automatic tracking, it allowed me to comfortably examine Mars and its surface features sitting in my folding chair:
Despite the color fringing, the view was sharp at 167x, with moments of good seeing at 250x. As in the previous evening (around 10-11 PM) the Mare Cimmerium dominated the view, along with Syrtis Minor and Mare Tyrrhenum. Again there was a noticeable dark (low albedo) patch between Cimmerium and the South Polar Cap (part of Mare Australe?). And again, a sliver of the North Polar Hood was detectable.
Also looked at Neptune (still indistinguishable from a star at 250x) and Uranus (tiny whitish non star-like dot at 167x).
No observing on the night of 10-18-20 (overcast).
Scopes: Reflectors, refractors, and 1 catadioptric. Ranging in aperture from 50mm to 150mm.
I really need to get out - but it has been getting cold at night now. /sigh
-- Brett
Scope: Apertura AD10 with Nexus II with 8192/716000 Step Encoders EPs: ES 82* 18mm, 11mm, 6.7mm; GSO 30mm Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars List Counts:Messier: 75;Herschel 400: 30;Caldwell: 12; AL Carbon Star List: 16 Brett's Carbon Star Hunt
This Mars opposition has been a lot of fun and a motivation for me. I am corked with clouds here for the last two days, but I am ready for the next clear sky.
"I am more than a sum of molecules.
I am more than a sum of memories or events.
I do not one day suddenly cease to be.
I am, before memory.
I am, before event.
I am"
I 've really enjoyed seeing Mars this opposition cycle. It sounds like a great morning out there Terry and I'm also glad that you managed to see Uranus as a disk and locate Neptune. Pretty cool!
-Michael Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50 Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl Camera: ZWO ASI 120 Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs Latitude: 48.7229° N
Hi again Terry. Another great Mars observing report from you again, and this time with the Celestron Astromaster 90. Still on and off again rains here coming in from the Atlantic here everyday and night. We are all getting tired of it. But, I am glad that you (and few others) are getting more chances to view the beautiful red planet. Thanks for your latest report Terry, and the very best of regards.
Marshall
Sky-Watcher 90mm f/13.8 Maksutov-Cassegrain on motorized Multimount
Orion Astroview 120ST f/5 Refractor on EQ3 mount
Celestron Comet Catcher 140mm f/3.64 Schmidt-Newtonian on alt-az mount
Celestron Omni XLT150R f/5 Refractor on CG4 mount with dual axis drives.
Orion 180mm f/15 Maksutov-Cassegrain on CG5-GT Goto mount.
Orion XT12i 12" f/4.9 Dobsonian Intelliscope.
Kamakura 7x35 Binoculars and Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars. ZWO ASI 120MC camera.
>)))))*>
