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Observing Mars, Worst telescope in the world
djellison
post Sep 23 2005, 08:52 AM
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At some point - i'll take a picture of my telescope doing it's thing with Mars - it defines the phrase Heath Robinson.

Anway - using my Powershot S2IS yesterday...



then my very bad, un-collamated, wobbly, dented, occasionally rusty, dusty 4" reflector, on a dodgy tripod with no fine controls, wobbly paving and a webcam blue-tacked onto the focus assembley...



Might not look like much - but it's the very first time, in more than 15 years of occasional observing that I've seen features on mars with my own eyes smile.gif

Doug
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dvandorn
post Sep 23 2005, 09:00 AM
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Not bad, Doug! Looks like you can see an ice cap (the southern, I'd guess) at about the eleven o'clock position , near the limb. If that's the case, then the dark splotch might well be Syrtis Major.

-the other Doug


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djellison
post Sep 23 2005, 09:32 AM
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I'm going to try a few more techniques, then pressgang a friend of mine for a trip to use the 16" reflector at the Uni of Leicester smile.gif

Doug
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4th rock from th...
post Sep 23 2005, 09:52 AM
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Not bad to start with!
You just need to colimate your telescope and wait for a very stable night.
The images will only get better!


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djellison
post Sep 23 2005, 11:26 AM
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Just re-processed.

Took the avi - output as sequential stills - photoshop action to crop, enlarge 400% and unsharp mask, then stacked the results - S.M. much more obvious now smile.gif

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djellison
post Sep 23 2005, 11:27 AM
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My neigbours have a really bad cheap refractor with a barlow - I may try that instead tonight smile.gif

Doug
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odave
post Sep 23 2005, 11:39 AM
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Now, now - the best telescope is one that gets used.

Your cheap little reflector that you got those images with beats the pants off of a bigger, more expensive scope that sits in a shed collecting dust instead of photons smile.gif


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Bill Harris
post Sep 23 2005, 12:30 PM
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This is the power of digital imaging. Even using an old small telescope and a cheap digital camera, this image equals or exceeds the photos of Mars taken with much larger telescopes on film a decade or two ago.

--Bill


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um3k
post Sep 23 2005, 03:50 PM
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I spy the Pleiades! tongue.gif
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Guest_PhilCo126_*
post Oct 28 2005, 09:18 AM
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I'm using a large refraktor ( 152 mm Diameter with 1200 mm Focal Length ) and at 300X I could easliy see the dust-storm in the Southern hemisphere of the planet Mars on 26th October 2005 ... the hemisphere was completely orange while I could see some 'details' in the other half of the planet.
Let's hope for clear skies and mild nights on 30th October ( Mars closest ) and on 7th November ( Mars in opposition ).
Best regards,
Philip mars.gif
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djellison
post Oct 28 2005, 09:21 AM
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Hopefully, I may be at the eyepiece of something more powerfull after a talk next Thursday smile.gif

Doug
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Guest_PhilCo126_*
post Feb 4 2006, 06:14 PM
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Well as Mars is moving away from us... Saturn is a nice target for backyard telescopes wink.gif
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djellison
post Feb 4 2006, 06:17 PM
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Indeed it is - the moment the clouds bugger off, I want to grab something of it - and Jupiter.

Doug
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