Mars 5/12/07 620am

Mars looked glorious this morning. It was a very clear crisp sky at 620am. Mars looked nicely red with the naked eye and was very high in the sky. I was tempted to call in sick and go and get my scope out. :twisted:

Nice one!
Mars is getting better by the night!

All we need (well, me anyway) is an opportune moment WITH clear skies. Now that I have the Canon 350D, and a Skywatcher on its way to me, I can't wait to see what I can come up with close to December 24th!

nice guys. Would love to see some snaps Seanie. Hopefully its clear enough around the 24th!

Don't know if anyone here has been following my thread in the beginners forum about my new XT12i where I mentioned my quick viewing of Mars in the middle of aligning finder scope and telerad. Twas done in gale force winds from inside my darken kitchen with the patio dooors open. Anyway it was a bubbling white mess.

Well tonight I had been looking at clear skies since about 4pm. Got to end of work at 10:30pm, still clear skies. Got me indian takeaway and ate it by 11.15pm. Still clear skies, got my trackie bottoms on under my jeans and wrapped up, still clear skies, got my scope out.............Haze followed by thicker haze and cloud.

Byt by God was the seeing so much better tonight. Rather than a bubbling mess, Mars was a clearly defined disk. Pity then that the transparency was atrocious!! Twas basically white disc with the barest hint of pink and in my 5mm Hyperion I could just barely make out some darker patches top right and bottom left. Being new to this telescope lark I wasn't sure if this was some kind of scope artifact. Shadow of the spiders or secondary or something.

Booted up Stellarium just now to look at mars and there are darker areas that correspond to my view. Shame about the transparency from my location tonight. I'm still confused as to why such a large disc (relatively speaking is still almost pure white in my scope though. Think I am going to have to invest in a mars filter too. I hear the Baader moon and Skyglow Neodynium filter is supposed to be good on Mars. Can anybody confirm? Any other recommendations for other planetary filters while your at it?

I could just barely make out some darker patches top right and bottom left. Being new to this telescope lark I wasn't sure if this was some kind of scope artefact. Shadow of the spiders or secondary or something.

Nope that is no artefact, that's pretty much all you see of Mars, a disk with some dark features and maybe a white polar cap.

Booted up Stellarium just now to look at mars and there are darker areas that correspond to my view. Shame about the transparency from my location tonight. I'm still confused as to why such a large disc (relatively speaking is still almost pure white in my scope though.

I do remember now seeing Mars very pale like but it was through a 70mm refractor, what size scope do you use, it might also be the white balance in your eyes, how does Mars look to you with the naked eye ?

Think I am going to have to invest in a mars filter too. I hear the Baader moon and Skyglow Neodynium filter is supposed to be good on Mars. Can anybody confirm? Any other recommendations for other planetary filters while your at it?

Here is an interesting article on Mars filters
www.company7.com/library/televue/MARS8-12-03.html
I would stick to the standard wratten filters, they are very cheap and Meade supply a good set of them