Funkytown

[Nightspore]

 

Well, inevitably I got a larger scope out this morning. The 102mm SkyMax is pretty easily re-positioned. I got out under the clouds at least an hour before I could see anything.

 

 

The Rigel worked fine up until around 04:00 when it was too light to see the reticule. I then had to rely on an Orion 6x30 RACI in the 7 o'clock position. Finding stuff without a sight on a Mak' should be an Olympic sport.

 

 

I couldn't see Saturn for a while but Jupiter was unmissable in the dawn sky. I could see the GRS. Sharpest I could get was 134x with a Meade 9.7mm Plossl.

 

 

I pulled all the stops out for a butcher's hook at Mars with a Meade 6.4mm Plossl. At 203x I could not only see the NPH, I could also see the bright white southern polar cap. The OTA was well cooled by now and I'm pretty sure I could also see a hint of some dark albedo features.

 

 

So I feel all funkytown ...

 

 

... but with much better dancing.

[Nightspore]

 

As the jet stream seems to have missed the Midlands for a bit I went for another early dawn 102mm Mak' session.

 

 

I had much longer on Saturn and I could detect some orange-yellow colour on Titan. Jupiter was pretty clear considering. I used the SvBony 7-21mm zoom for both planets. No GRS this morning.

 

 

The big question was whether I took out the SLV or TMB 6mm for Mars. The Vixen has orthoscopic-like contrast but only 45˚ of field. 

 

 

The TMB won due to the bigger field. I'll go with the SLV tomorrow. I'm not sure how much more I could see at 217x as opposed to 203x but the southern polar cap is still quite visible. So I feel a bit like ...

 

 

... this.