Its worse than you think....
http://www201.pair.com/resource/resource-intl/mars.09.14.03.jpg
It almost looks to me as if there is a dark limb on the right side.
At 9/14/2003, you wrote:
>OMG, Wagner looking at planets, what next? The moon?!?!??!!! AAAaahhh.
>The world is stopping, the Big One is coming, the end of life as we know
>it.
>
>Doomed I tell you DOOMED..........
>
>---------
>Phil Chambers [ptchamb@No-Spam] (S.F. Bay Area - Calif. USA)
>
>On Sun, 14 Sep 2003, Mark Wagner wrote:
>
> >
> > I set up my 10" f/5.7 scope in the backyard before doing the BBQ. Let is
> > cool down nicely, tweaked the collimation. Ate dinner, fixed a coffee and
> > went out back.
> >
> > Mars, of course.
> >
> > 20 Nagler, 72x. Steady with detail.
> > 12 Nagler, 120x. Good detail. Rock steady.
> > 7 Nagler, 207x. NIce detail. Holding up very well.
> > Put in the 2x Barlow. 414x, more detail. I could do a drawing, the dark
> > markings are so well defined. Very good seeing snaps to exquisite. Magic.
> >
> > I can't help but look at the foreign world and think of the first human,
> > maybe one of my kid's friends, maybe your's, setting foot up there. Nobody
> > has been there.
> >
> > I keep watching. Ochre, the color of those soft "peanut" shaped candies...
> > circus peanuts. But with banana bad spots on it.
> >
> > I am amazed.
> >
> > The southern polar cap is doing a disappearing act. Magic. I can watch it
> > through this weird collection of aluminum struts, rods and several pieces
> > of glass.
> >
> > I'm telling you, it is magic. It is fun.
> >
> > I watch for a while more. Subtle features - a bay of orange in the dark
> > river crossing the planet. Smaller dark pieces extending along parallel to
> > the main feature. Faded dark on the limb and up toward the southern ice
> > cap. Haze on the northern one.
> >
> > I'm so glad I set up the scope.
> >
> > I look around.
> >
> > Pegasus is up.
> >
> > At 414x I point at M15. Find it in, well, the finder - I can see it at
> > 9x. Center it then in the eyepiece. It is there, dim. Handful of stars.
> >
> > I cup my hands around the eyepiece and look. Stars begin filling the
> > field. Suddenly they are everywhere. The core is dense. The globular is
> > beautiful. Stars are everywhere. No counting them
> >
> > From my celestial backyard to the halo of my galaxy in 10 seconds.
> >
> > It is magic.
> >
> > I hope some of you are out tonight. It is a fine night.
> >
> > Going back out to count features on Mars.
> >
> > There is something magical to this.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> >
> >
