Looking at the stars I knew it was going to be a tougher night than last night and I was not disappointed. I started at 10 and observed Mars for two hours. This is exhausting work.10 was too early and Mars too low. I could see more or a lot less what I saw last night but only in vague moments. The nice thing about Mars is that with a bit different rotation than us you see mostly the same on consecutive nights so you have a clue. Started with the same combo but results were a bit rougher. Deimos was not to be seen as I expected in poor seeing. Forget Phoebos, that is way to dim and close to the planet.

Around midnight things got a bit better with Mars getting higher on the sky. Still tough. I decided to use a trick I have used before on tough planet observations. Normally if the seeing is bad reduce power but on planets you can try going up higher. You sacrifice the nice view but what you are waiting for is that fleeting moment when it comes good and the planet is bigger in the view so you can see what you are looking for more easily before it disappears again. I went to the Takahashi TOE 3.3mm which gets me up to 200 something+. That actually helped in good moments. I was able to get fleeting views of what I saw last night though only for micro seconds. I (may or may not) have seen Deimos for only a split second twice in two hours of effort. Not quite as sure tonight. You had to not look at all for it during the bad moments but then the moment the planet snapped into focus expand your vision. I think I sighted it twice in the same spot but would not swear to it.

Two hours on one object is tough work (impossible work for Kent :) ). Exhausting. But nice big views for a second or two. Had to use a fair amount of eye drops to keep the orb moist. A side effect of eye surgery.

On Nov 28, 2024, at 8:31?PM, Mark Ost <jimcoble2000@...> wrote:

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It had been raining all day and my equipment was over at Kent's shed so I had pretty much written off any observing. This was too bad as the red spot and a Europa shadow transit was taking place. Around 7:30. I said to myself, heck I have the 3 inch antique Goto with it's excellent planetary 0.965 orthos. Perfect. Well it sure is crowded with my observing chair and that big tripod and F/17 scope but it just fits.

It was worth it. Seeing was pretty good considering the weather change.

The news: I can see why everyone has trouble seeing the red spot. I did see it at 90x with the Zeiss 16mm. YIKES it is small. Oh yes, unless you have steady seeing you may very well not see it at all now. I have never seen it so small and hard to see. You almost have to know where it is to find it. I was able to watch the ingress of Europa and see the shadow as it goes across the disc of the planet. Quite nice. A pretty good thanksgiving short session.

<goto jupiter.JPG>

On 12/03/2024 11:46 AM EST jimcoble2000 via groups.io <jimcoble2000@...> wrote:

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Roy try the Vernonscope 30 magenta. Much better than the "Mars" filters everyone sells. I can't help you with clouds except to suggest Zillo.

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On Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 10:33:36 AM EST, Roy Diffrient <mail@...> wrote:

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Oh good – my Mars filter has been collecting dust for two years. ?Oh wait – my cloud filter has still not arrived!

On 12/03/2024 12:36 AM EST Mark Ost <jimcoble2000@...> wrote:

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I left the Blackwell back yard around 9:45 after observing in 29 degree weather. I was quite comfortable as full weather gear was worn. Seeing was only a 7 or 8 but a lot of doubles were seen. Sissie has a lot of mistakes in Andromeda and Aries. Roy a fun one to try is 14 ARI. She has it misstated as a double and it is a triple. She does not list the 11th magnitude component but it is mentioned as a triple in the description. I suspect she could not see it. It is a broad triangle and the dim star is easily missed. Another very very difficult one is Struve 279 in Andromeda. That took a lot of effort. A 5.9 star with two companions 10.9 and a very tough 11.7 . The 11.7 can be done but it takes effort. I was using the 5 inch scope.

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Now the big news. I set up the 4 on the balcony prior to going to Kent's. The object was to visit Mars around midnight. It was worth the effort. The scope had cooled down and was functioning. I used a 4mm Zeiss with an 30 magenta Vernonscope filter. That gives about 180 something power. Last time with Mars a couple of years ago, the magenta filter was the filter of choice for Mars when Kent and I viewed it. I had ordered one a few weeks back. Good purchase.

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The view was stunning. Often seeing is so much better here on the balcony as I am 16 feet above the ground. The parking lot has lost all it's heat by midnight at 29 degrees. Seeing was a nine, not perfect but good. I could see exactly what Sky Tools had as to what Mars would look like. I saw the polar cap, Mare Boreum, Chryse, Mare Erythraeum, and Argyr.

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?Ed Zachery as advertised.?

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AND, I can't believe it, but also saw Deimos with averted vision and not terribly hard oddly. I didn't think it was possible so checked the map and there is no way to mistake where it was and there is nothing else around it. Just the right distance, location and magnitude. I checked at low power to see the orientation with a nearby star and it matched perfectly.? It was just out of the glare of the planet and was actually seen without too much effort out of the corner of vision. It held steady every time. If you looked direct at it would vanish. But it was there when you looked at Mars. That scope/eyepiece combination is the highest contrast possible. Dead black and the Zeiss is razor sharp. I feel pretty confident about that observation. That is one for the books.

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On 12/03/2024 12:36 AM EST Mark Ost <jimcoble2000@...> wrote:

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I left the Blackwell back yard around 9:45 after observing in 29 degree weather. I was quite comfortable as full weather gear was worn. Seeing was only a 7 or 8 but a lot of doubles were seen. Sissie has a lot of mistakes in Andromeda and Aries. Roy a fun one to try is 14 ARI. She has it misstated as a double and it is a triple. She does not list the 11th magnitude component but it is mentioned as a triple in the description. I suspect she could not see it. It is a broad triangle and the dim star is easily missed. Another very very difficult one is Struve 279 in Andromeda. That took a lot of effort. A 5.9 star with two companions 10.9 and a very tough 11.7 . The 11.7 can be done but it takes effort. I was using the 5 inch scope.

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Now the big news. I set up the 4 on the balcony prior to going to Kent's. The object was to visit Mars around midnight. It was worth the effort. The scope had cooled down and was functioning. I used a 4mm Zeiss with an 30 magenta Vernonscope filter. That gives about 180 something power. Last time with Mars a couple of years ago, the magenta filter was the filter of choice for Mars when Kent and I viewed it. I had ordered one a few weeks back. Good purchase.

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The view was stunning. Often seeing is so much better here on the balcony as I am 16 feet above the ground. The parking lot has lost all it's heat by midnight at 29 degrees. Seeing was a nine, not perfect but good. I could see exactly what Sky Tools had as to what Mars would look like. I saw the polar cap, Mare Boreum, Chryse, Mare Erythraeum, and Argyr.

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?Ed Zachery as advertised.?

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AND, I can't believe it, but also saw Deimos with averted vision and not terribly hard oddly. I didn't think it was possible so checked the map and there is no way to mistake where it was and there is nothing else around it. Just the right distance, location and magnitude. I checked at low power to see the orientation with a nearby star and it matched perfectly.? It was just out of the glare of the planet and was actually seen without too much effort out of the corner of vision. It held steady every time. If you looked direct at it would vanish. But it was there when you looked at Mars. That scope/eyepiece combination is the highest contrast possible. Dead black and the Zeiss is razor sharp. I feel pretty confident about that observation. That is one for the books.

On 12/03/2024 12:36 AM EST Mark Ost <jimcoble2000@...> wrote:

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I left the Blackwell back yard around 9:45 after observing in 29 degree weather. I was quite comfortable as full weather gear was worn. Seeing was only a 7 or 8 but a lot of doubles were seen. Sissie has a lot of mistakes in Andromeda and Aries. Roy a fun one to try is 14 ARI. She has it misstated as a double and it is a triple. She does not list the 11th magnitude component but it is mentioned as a triple in the description. I suspect she could not see it. It is a broad triangle and the dim star is easily missed. Another very very difficult one is Struve 279 in Andromeda. That took a lot of effort. A 5.9 star with two companions 10.9 and a very tough 11.7 . The 11.7 can be done but it takes effort. I was using the 5 inch scope.

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Now the big news. I set up the 4 on the balcony prior to going to Kent's. The object was to visit Mars around midnight. It was worth the effort. The scope had cooled down and was functioning. I used a 4mm Zeiss with an 30 magenta Vernonscope filter. That gives about 180 something power. Last time with Mars a couple of years ago, the magenta filter was the filter of choice for Mars when Kent and I viewed it. I had ordered one a few weeks back. Good purchase.

?

The view was stunning. Often seeing is so much better here on the balcony as I am 16 feet above the ground. The parking lot has lost all it's heat by midnight at 29 degrees. Seeing was a nine, not perfect but good. I could see exactly what Sky Tools had as to what Mars would look like. I saw the polar cap, Mare Boreum, Chryse, Mare Erythraeum, and Argyr.

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?Ed Zachery as advertised.?

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AND, I can't believe it, but also saw Deimos with averted vision and not terribly hard oddly. I didn't think it was possible so checked the map and there is no way to mistake where it was and there is nothing else around it. Just the right distance, location and magnitude. I checked at low power to see the orientation with a nearby star and it matched perfectly.? It was just out of the glare of the planet and was actually seen without too much effort out of the corner of vision. It held steady every time. If you looked direct at it would vanish. But it was there when you looked at Mars. That scope/eyepiece combination is the highest contrast possible. Dead black and the Zeiss is razor sharp. I feel pretty confident about that observation. That is one for the books.

On Dec 3, 2024, at 12:37?AM, Mark Ost <jimcoble2000@...> wrote:

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I left the Blackwell back yard around 9:45 after observing in 29 degree weather. I was quite comfortable as full weather gear was worn. Seeing was only a 7 or 8 but a lot of doubles were seen. Sissie has a lot of mistakes in Andromeda and Aries. Roy a fun one to try is 14 ARI. She has it misstated as a double and it is a triple. She does not list the 11th magnitude component but it is mentioned as a triple in the description. I suspect she could not see it. It is a broad triangle and the dim star is easily missed. Another very very difficult one is Struve 279 in Andromeda. That took a lot of effort. A 5.9 star with two companions 10.9 and a very tough 11.7 . The 11.7 can be done but it takes effort. I was using the 5 inch scope.

Now the big news. I set up the 4 on the balcony prior to going to Kent's. The object was to visit Mars around midnight. It was worth the effort. The scope had cooled down and was functioning. I used a 4mm Zeiss with an 30 magenta Vernonscope filter. That gives about 180 something power. Last time with Mars a couple of years ago, the magenta filter was the filter of choice for Mars when Kent and I viewed it. I had ordered one a few weeks back. Good purchase.

The view was stunning. Often seeing is so much better here on the balcony as I am 16 feet above the ground. The parking lot has lost all it's heat by midnight at 29 degrees. Seeing was a nine, not perfect but good. I could see exactly what Sky Tools had as to what Mars would look like. I saw the polar cap, Mare Boreum, Chryse, Mare Erythraeum, and Argyr.

?Ed Zachery as advertised.?

AND, I can't believe it, but also saw Deimos with averted vision and not terribly hard oddly. I didn't think it was possible so checked the map and there is no way to mistake where it was and there is nothing else around it. Just the right distance, location and magnitude. I checked at low power to see the orientation with a nearby star and it matched perfectly.? It was just out of the glare of the planet and was actually seen without too much effort out of the corner of vision. It held steady every time. If you looked direct at it would vanish. But it was there when you looked at Mars. That scope/eyepiece combination is the highest contrast possible. Dead black and the Zeiss is razor sharp. I feel pretty confident about that observation. That is one for the books.

On 11/27/2024 8:39 AM EST Ian Stewart via groups.io <swampcolliecoffee@...> wrote:

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OK three panes done on the California nebula. Each pane is about 4 hours of exposure. Only about another three to go ?

Cheers

Ian