New Red Spot Options

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/02....htm?list771283

[Decepticon]

It amazes me how much amateur observations have increased in clarity.

I can't even imagine what the next 10 years brings!

[ugordan]

While it is simply amazing that amateur astronomers nowadays produce better images than professional observatories did a couple of decades ago, I don't believe this trend will continue much longer by improving cameras and increasing telescope apertures. Even now, image quality is most strongly affected by atmospheric seeing and without adaptive optics, you can't squeeze out a much larger resolution, no matter how good equipment you have.
On the other hand, it'll be interesting to follow advances in adaptive optics over the years and how affordable they'll become to amateur guys. Check out Emily's blog on Uranus' equinox, there's a neat Keck montage showing just how AO improved in only 4 years. The next big quantum leap in amateur observing will surely come when (if?) AO becomes affordable. It's still best suited for infrared observations, though.