Deimos/Phobos Tonight

Hi,

Both of Mars' satellites are at greatest western elongation tonight
(8/19-8/20) at about 03:30-04:00 UT. Phobos will be about one Mars
diameter away, and Deimos about three diameters distant. This would be
directly to the left of Mars in an inverting telescope.

Faint as they are, one or both should be possible in medium-size scopes
if the sky is transparent and steady, and the observer is experienced.
Use the highest magnifications your scope will comfortably support.
There are a few nearby faint field stars of 13-14 magnitude. But they
are not in line with the planet's equator nor as close as are the real
satellites.

A simple occulting bar will help. See the following link for
instructions:
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing...cle_1004_1.asp

Starry Skies & Good Luck,
Rich