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It's here!
Topic Started: Oct 31 2005, 08:14 PM (482 Views)
Mark
Member Avatar
HOLY CARP!!!
I change my avatar to commemorate the opposition of the planet Mars.

It is happening right now people!

It is very cool. I had my 4" Refractor out this weekend and with a 5mm Astro-Physics SPL eyepiece I was able to see very good surface detail and I even caught a glimpse or two of the polar ice cap.

From www.space.com

This weekend Mars will make its closest approach to Earth until June 2018. While the event won’t make Mars seem any bigger or brighter than the night before or after, it is among the best chances in a lifetime to view the planet.

After brilliant Venus sets, Mars is the brightest “star” in the evening sky [map]. It comes up around a quarter-hour after sunset, but give it at least two more hours to climb above the poor seeing near the horizon. By then it will be at an altitude of around 20 degrees as seen from mid-northern latitudes.

Your clinched fist held at arm’s length is roughly equal to 10 degrees, so two hours after it rises, Mars will be about “two-fists” up from the east-northeast horizon.

Stay up late!

Mars appears much sharper and steadier when it crosses the southern meridian, soon after local midnight. Its altitude is then about 66 degrees (more than “six fists” up from the southern horizon).

Mars comes closest to the Earth Saturday night (around 11:25 p.m. Eastern daylight time). The planet is then 43,137,071 miles (69,422,386 kilometers) from Earth, measured center to center. It is at opposition nine days later, on Nov. 7.

The red planet, usually appearing more orange to us, gleams at magnitude –2.3 and through Nov. 29 will rank as the second brightest planet, outshining even Jupiter. (On this astronomers scale, smaller numbers represent brighter objects; negative numbers are reserved for the brightest.)

Dust off your telescope

Anyone who has a telescope, no matter how modest it may be, will surely want to see what it can do with Mars. Telescopic observers everywhere will be spying out Mars’ bright polar areas, dark surface markings, white clouds and yellow dust storms.

On the night of Mars’ closest approach, a telescope magnifying 90 power will make the planet seem to be the same angular size, as the full Moon would appear with the unaided eye. Seeing the largest dark markings should be fairly easy, but finer details are notoriously difficult.

During November Mars departs Earth’s vicinity as rapidly as it arrived.

But wait, there's more ...

Between Nov. 7 and Nov. 30, it loses nearly half its brightness, diminishing from magnitude –2.3 to –1.6.

But at the same time, Mars will be very well placed for convenient viewing. Unlike earlier in the fall, you won’t have to get up in the early morning hours to see it high in the sky. Mars will be due south at around midnight near the time of its opposition, and around 9:45 p.m. local standard time at the end of November.

On Nov. 14, Mars will be situated below and to the left of the Moon, just one night before it turns full.
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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KlavierBauer
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HOLY CARP!!!
awesome...

I'm going to try to go out tomorrow evening and see it, thanks for the heads up Mark!
"I realize you want him to touch you all over and give you babies, but his handling of the PR side really did screw the pooch." - Ivory Thumper
"He said sleepily: "Don't worry mom, my dick is like hot logs in the morning." - Apple

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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
What is your weapon of choice?

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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garrett
Middle Aged Carp
Very cool! :)
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
KB,

Show me your telescope.

I love telescopes! All brands, styles, price ranges. I have a little 60mm Meade I bought on eBay several years ago. I still keep it just because it was my first telescope. I also have some very fine Astro-Physics gear.

I am thinking about a getting the new 160mm Maksutov from the Orion Catalog.

Posted Image

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/...d=150mm#tabLink

or maybe a big light bucket Dobsonian:

Posted Image

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/...1&keyword=XT+12
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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garrett
Middle Aged Carp
Wow. Awesome telescopes, Mark. For the past year, or so, I've wanted to build my own (I hope to have one by 2018). I have a cheap Tasco (I think) that I got for Christmas when I was very young. I haven't used it since the Hale Bopp comet came around (it currently lives in my parents attic).
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apple
one of the angels
saw it last nite w/ my naked eye
it behooves me to behold
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
Yep! It's there for all to see! Bright as can be.

You should try to find someone with a telescope apple.

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o 0
When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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apple
one of the angels
we have a couple telescopes... you'll have to set them up for us next time you visit.... i want to practice
it behooves me to behold
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
I'm sure Mr. apple could handle that for this opposition. You really should see it through a telescope if possible.

Do not just take casual glances at it. You will probably see nothing more than a bright blob. You must stare at it patiently waiting for the atmosphere to cooperate and give you a detailed view. It can be maddening because it will move across the eyepiece pretty quickly. If your telescope does not have slow motion controls or a tracking motor it can be very difficult to view the planets.
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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apple
one of the angels
ok - we'll work on it
it behooves me to behold
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Nunatax
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Middle Aged Carp
I've looked at it through my telescope but it wasn't more than a small dot. Probably due to the magnification of only 60x :(
You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
What it the objective diameter of your telescope Nunatax?

Do you have the Brand Names and Specs handy?

My Traveler has 105mm or 4.1" diameter objective lens. It has a 600mm Focal Length and an f6 focal ratio. I used a 5mm eyepiece which produces 120x.
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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Nunatax
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Middle Aged Carp
It's actually a terrestrial spotting scope. The brand is Swarovski, type ATS 80 HD. The objective diameter is 80 mm. Focal length 460 mm. So that means a focal ratio f/5.8, right?
I used the standard 20-60x zoom eyepiece.

I normally only use it for terrestrial viewing. However, it's also great for watching the moon and Jupiter and Saturn.
You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
Nice scope!

The minimum recommended power to see detail on Mars is 90x

It would appear that the 20-60x zoom is the most powerful eyepiece they offer.

If you are patient and can track the planet on your mount you just might be able to see some surface detail.

Set the planet on on side of the field and let it drift across as you keep your eye trained to it. As the atmosphere settles (if it does) you will be rewarded with glimpses of detail.

Otherwise try to find a more powerful scope, preferably one on a mount that tracks.
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
Here is a photo of my manual tracking mount with Traveler mounted. Note the slow motion control knobs. They allow very precise manual tracking of objects.

Posted Image
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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The 89th Key
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Nice avatar Mark!

Stop pretending...you don't even like astronomy! :P

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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
Thanks 89th!

I took that photo of Mars during the opposition of 2003.

Shhh! you were not supposed to tell anyone! :P
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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Fizzygirl
Fulla-Carp
I could sure go for a Mars bar right about now! :biggrin:
Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose. ~ Garrison Keillor


My latest videos.

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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
Back away from the candy! :tsktsk:
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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KlavierBauer
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HOLY CARP!!!
I haven't purchased a new one yet Mark. I know I talked to you about it a year or two ago, but I just never had the $$ together.
I'd like to get something decent, and that seems to be near impossible to do on a tight budget. I guess I shouldn't laugh at people who only want to spend $1k on a piano anymore eh? :)

I have some old reflector telescope my Grandfather had from Sears... it's pretty old, and not the best optical quality. Does great with the moon, but that's about it.

Hopefully I'll have something nice by the next time this happens. (*chuckle*)
"I realize you want him to touch you all over and give you babies, but his handling of the PR side really did screw the pooch." - Ivory Thumper
"He said sleepily: "Don't worry mom, my dick is like hot logs in the morning." - Apple

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apple
one of the angels
it does travel fast...
it behooves me to behold
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JBryan
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I am the grey one
Mark
Nov 1 2005, 12:02 PM
Here is a photo of my manual tracking mount with Traveler mounted. Note the slow motion control knobs. They allow very precise manual tracking of objects.

Posted Image

That is not very useful when they suddenly get up to go in the house for more sun block.
"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne


There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it".


Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody.

Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore.

From The Lion in Winter.
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