Go for Olympus Mons!

[matt]

Always a great challenge for planetary imagers, Olympus Mons will be well placed over the next couple of nights for anyone keen to try and capture this elusive target.

I've checked with Astrocalc and it should be in clear view right around transit time over the next few nights/mornings.

Hopefully someone will have clear and steady skies to capture it.

Definitely not here in Brisbane

[iceman (Mike)]

I might try for this tomorrow morning!

[White Rabbit]

I have a etx 125 and looked at mars the other night but couldnt see any detail at all. Is my scope to small or am I doing something wrong.

Thanks

[matt]

Hi WR

Mars is a tricky object at the best of times...especially visually.

The problem is that its albedo (or surface features) are very subtle and often hard to discern in telescopes of even twice your aperture.

You need really good conditions and a very well trained eye to make the details out.

I think you might struggle a bit with the etx 125 as far as Mars goes.

What eyepieces do you have?

[programmer]

Off-topic, but I also (in my whole 2 attempts) haven't been able to make out more than a fuzzy orange blob with my 10". Low in the sky and less than perfect collimation (in my case) and seeing doesn't help. Can't seem to get good focus. I would've thought it was a better visual target.

[matt]

Originally Posted by programmer

Off-topic, but I also (in my whole 2 attempts) haven't been able to make out more than a fuzzy orange blob with my 10". Low in the sky and less than perfect collimation (in my case) and seeing doesn't help. Can't seem to get good focus. I would've thought it was a better visual target.

What's the focal length of your scope and what focal length eyepieces are you using?

BTW...Mars looks mostly like a fuzzy little blob in my 9.25SCT too when it's low on the horizon

I'm assuming your focal length is around the 1250mm mark?

You'd need around a 10mm eyepiece to begin with...and then try shorter focal lengths from there.

I used to get very nice views of Jupiter with my SkyWatcher 8" (fl=1000m) and Vixen LVW 5mm eyepiece. That gave me a magnification of 200x...but that was only on nights of very good (steady) seeing.

Try waiting until it climbs higher in the sky. Try 2am...or thereabouts. Or wait another month or so and it will be higher earlier in the night.

And work on that collimation!!!!

[programmer]

Originally Posted by matt

What's the focal length of your scope and what focal length eyepieces are you using?

BTW...Mars looks mostly like a fuzzy little blob in my 9.25SCT too when it's low on the horizon

I'm assuming your focal length is around the 1250mm mark?

You'd need around a 10mm eyepiece to begin with...and then try shorter focal lengths from there.

I used to get very nice views of Jupiter with my SkyWatcher 8" (fl=1000m) and Vixen LVW 5mm eyepiece. That gave me a magnification of 200x...but that was only on nights of very good (steady) seeing.

Try waiting until it climbs higher in the sky. Try 2am...or thereabouts. Or wait another month or so and it will be higher earlier in the night.

And work on that collimation!!!!

Yes 1250mm f/l. I could barely keep the thing in view with a 9mm (no doubt cr*p quality) let alone focus. And it was about 2am. I went out to pack up then noticed the sky had cleared . No luck with 9mm so didn't go further! Not good seeing. Plus I had an inquisitive possum intrude at that time. Collimation... I know, I keep whinging about it.