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Old 10-12-2005, 09:24 AM
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janoskiss (Steve H)
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sale, VIC
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Mars should look like an orangish disk with a well defined sharp edge. Yes, the 9mm eyepiece is the one you want, without the Barlow. Or you can use a Barlowed 25mm for a little bit more magnification (but the image quality will be better with just the 9mm). Once you do see a well defined disk, then you need to look carefully to see surface detail and the polar cap. The contrast on Mars is very low. The most prominent markings on the surface are slightly bluer than the rest of the planet, and the polar cap is a little bit whiter, and bulges out a tiny bit (somewhere up "top" when you look at it through the eyepiece). Look now, persisting with attention to the subtle details, because in a couple of months' time Mars will be gone and won't be back for over 2 years.
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