Mars observation - image or imagination?

LUNAtic, Dave

As the Aldiscope is in an Alt/Az (up-down, left-right) mount then I think that what you were weeing is, as Dave says Sirtis Major but not with North up as you will see in an equitorial telescope. Here is how the Freeware Carte du Ciel www.astrosurf.org/astropc/cartes/ displays it :-


I think that it is very close to what you sketched. Well done.

Michael Scully

Sorry, forgot to say that the cdc image is reversed left right and is upright as a refractor with a star diagonal would show it. (as Dave's is)

Michael

Thanks guys, you've been immensly helpful in furthering my knowledge and confirming my dodgy observation. The Aldiscope definitely produces an upright mirror image BTW but it was so faint that I couldn't guarantee my location to be totally accurate. I found that using indirect vision helped a little in determining the shape. I have to say I'm absolutely chuffed that I did actually see some surface features Thanks again!


PS Tried another viewing tonight but the gale force winds and cloud patches made a mess of my attempts. Hopefully I can catch another glimps before it slips further away from earth.

Neil,
Looks like your getting a great kick out of looking at Mars through the scope, wait until you see Saturn and Jupiter for the firtst time, Mars (for me) came in a distant third place.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the two giants Dave - I've been too lazy to get up during the wee hours although I saw Saturn in the east on Saturday night, when coming home from the pub so I didn't feel like breaking out the scope then! But earlier on Saturday (18:00) I did some more Mars watching in what were almost ideal conditions. Just about manged to make out Mare Tyrrhenum with the paler Hellas region creating a shallow C shape out of the darker Mare region.