On the topic of Mars, here are a couple of images taken from Fremont Peak,
Ranger Row, 10 days apart in August. Seeing cooperated - a bit, but these
don't even come close to the detail I have seen in many more planetary
images done by amateurs around the world. Seeing is key to this art.
http://www.celestialimage.com/page221.html
John Gleason,
dvj@No-Spam
Celestial Images Web Site:
http://www.celestialimage.com
Sky Shed Observatory
http://www.celestialimage.com/page10.html
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Wagner" <mgwagner@No-Spam>
To: "tac" <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2003 9:54 PM
Subject: [TAC] Backyard Magic
>
> 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
>
>