Mars Jul-15-03

My first proper Mars session. Image available via my website (see
sig.).

After some beautiful, clear nights, the one I chose to observe on was
dogged by high altitude cloud nicely picked out by the full Moon.
Can't win them all I guess!

--
Pete
Homepage at http://www.pbl33.co.uk
CCD/digicam astronomy

I'll take your session over mine. The forecast last night was clear with
very good seeing (clearsky clock) so I left my 10" dob on the deck uncovered
and ready to go, not wanting to wake the neighbours whose bedroom window is
very nearby, with the rustling of a tarp. Our cat was to wake me with its
usual 5 am "I want someone to play with" ruckus, but instead I was awakened
at 4:45 by the sound of either large raindrops or hail pinging on the
aluminum eaves. It was a mad dash downstairs to retrieve the scope, which
was fine as it wasn't hail, and the rain didn't really start coming down
until everything was safely inside. Still waiting for my first good
session. Nice pics on you website!

Jim


"Pete Lawrence" wrote in message
...
My first proper Mars session. Image available via my website (see
sig.).

After some beautiful, clear nights, the one I chose to observe on was
dogged by high altitude cloud nicely picked out by the full Moon.
Can't win them all I guess!

--
Pete
Homepage at http://www.pbl33.co.uk
CCD/digicam astronomy

Its always a gamble, what can you do. Things didn't get any better when I
went back to bed. I started dreaming about observing mars but there was
always a tree in my way, then it was too low...arggghhh!


"Pete Lawrence" wrote in message
...

Heh heh - I know the feeling well. Some nights I have a feeling that
it just isn't going to happen. When this feeling occurs, everything
that can go wrong often does.

I've had many a session that has just culminated with getting the
scope properly set-up and polar aligned in time to watch the grey
stuff roll in.

--
Pete
Homepage at http://www.pbl33.co.uk
CCD/digicam astronomy

"Pete Lawrence" wrote in message
...
My first proper Mars session. Image available via my website (see
sig.).

After some beautiful, clear nights, the one I chose to observe on was
dogged by high altitude cloud nicely picked out by the full Moon.
Can't win them all I guess!

--
Pete
Homepage at http://www.pbl33.co.uk
CCD/digicam astronomy


Hi:

One thing I don't understand and never have...you took that picture with an
F9 102 and a 20mm EP..this works out
to 46 X's magnification...how come the image is so large?? Even with a 2x
barlow it wouldn't even be 100 X's...Mars just isn't
that big...please explain

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 04:14:13 GMT, "Mick" wrote:


"Pete Lawrence" wrote in message
.. .
My first proper Mars session. Image available via my website (see
sig.).

After some beautiful, clear nights, the one I chose to observe on was
dogged by high altitude cloud nicely picked out by the full Moon.
Can't win them all I guess!

--
Pete
Homepage at http://www.pbl33.co.uk
CCD/digicam astronomy


Hi:

One thing I don't understand and never have...you took that picture with an
F9 102 and a 20mm EP..this works out
to 46 X's magnification...how come the image is so large?? Even with a 2x
barlow it wouldn't even be 100 X's...Mars just isn't
that big...please explain

I used an Olympus C-2100UZ digital camera on full zoom. The camera is
capable of 10x optical (equivalent to a 35mm using a 380mm telephoto
lens). It's this element that boosts the size.

Without the zoom, the image is a pink pimple ;-)

--
Pete
Homepage at http://www.pbl33.co.uk
CCD/digicam astronomy

On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 23:41:54 GMT, "Jim Walling"
wrote:

Its always a gamble, what can you do. Things didn't get any better when I
went back to bed. I started dreaming about observing mars but there was
always a tree in my way, then it was too low...arggghhh!

Trees and bushes are a problem for me too. I remember one session
many years ago when a group of us were going to attempt to photograph
the Perseids meteor shower using a home made camera table. The table
had something like 10 35mm SLRs on their own wedge mounts so that they
pointed to more or less the entire sky. Above the arrangement was a
large chopped rotating shutter.

A beautiful clear blue sky maximum day led to an equally clear blue
evening. Drove up to a local hill ans set out all of the equipment.
The Sun set and twilight descended - beautiful blue darkening away
from the sunset horizon.

Just as all was about to kick off, a scene that reminded me of what it
must look like under one of those pool covers that gets dragged across
swimming pools at night, took place. A thick blanket of cloud - with
a beautifully straight leading edge - pulled itself across the entire
sky. That was that for the night!

I can still remember the feeling of disbelief to this day.

--
Pete
Homepage at http://www.pbl33.co.uk
CCD/digicam astronomy