"Double glazed" Mars filters.

June 4th 03h15m UT x125  Mak90 -  Diam: 15.8"
(via-Double glazing filters)

A few mornings ago I tried my hand at Mars observing... through one of our bedroom windows!

Not my first choice of observing methods, but I wanted to see how "bad" Mars could be, as viewed through a "double glazing" filter.

Setup of the 90mm Mak was easy and within a minute, via a 10mm eyepiece, I was sailing over Mars, looking at a wonderfully massive south polar cap.

The dark band adjacent to the polar cap was easily seen.

Mars at the moment has to it a slight gibbous phase, which was easily picked out at x125.

It would have made more sense to go outside and view the red planet, but I was half asleep and didn't feel like dragging myself out into the garden. Something which I will remedy over the next month or so. 

By July I expect to be camped out on some distant hill in Pembrokeshire, unwilling to move until this Mars opposition is over!

June 4th 2018 03h15mUT

In conclusion I had a good peep at the South Polar Cap, which will be interesting to observe as it recedes in the now martian summer. 

Plus some dark banding was easily detectable on the edge of the entire polar region.  

Also the gibbous phase could easily be detected.

All in all not a bad result for viewing through a "double glazed" filter!  

Last night's Jupiter sketch

Last night's planetary sketch of Jupiter.  

22h00m UT Antoniadi II/III 

Skywatcher  90mm Maksutov x125

It was great to be outside last evening under the stars. 

Even better to be able to grab a decent sketch of the planet Jupiter, with the added bonus of capturing the Great Red spot.

90mm Maksutov telescope

That "mighty" Maksutov 90mm telescope is able to deliver great views of the planetary features, and considering its small aperture, I'm well pleased with the final results. 

This little scope, so far; has returned some lovely images of double stars, craters of the Moon and now I find that Jupiter is also holding up well...  I hope Mars is as good in July.

The crow ship returns.

"Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them"

Marcus Aurelius.

Recently, whilst spying Algeiba through the Maksutov, I noticed to the south west and low over a nearby roof top, that familiar of constellations "Corvus" the raven, or crow as it is also called.  

It is also known as the "Spanker" due to its resemblance to a type of boat sail.  

The constellation may be named Corvus, but to my eyes, it looks nothing like a big black bird!

Few of the constellations take on the actual shape they depict, but in the case of the "Spanker" the stargazers of old were spot on.  

Is that a spanker sail.? maybe~maybe not!

It's good to see Corvus again, a sure sign that summer will soon be calling.