Phobos and Diemos Observed

In article ,
(Mike K) wrote:

It's now or never, no matter the size of your scope...........



I'm glad you said that, I was almost afraid to post this, but, is it
possible to see any surface details on Mars,using just a 60mm scope
!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been a keen space fan for 30+ years,ie Moon landings Shuttle flts
etc,but only a very part time user of a scope.I've had the above
instrument for years, I know it isn't much good,but frankly,where I
live,there's too much light anyway for serious astro work.

Last night,dragged it out the back at 0130 local time,saw a nice disk
of Mars,hoping to see perhaps the Polar Cap,but,would guess,at 60mm or
two and a half inches,its just too damm
small.........................??????


Mike,

A 60mm refractor is not too small to see the South Polar Cap. If you
keep your magnification at between 100X and 150X, and view Mars when
it's at its highest point in the sky, you will find it. It takes
patience and careful focusing. Maybe you want to focus carefully on a
star (make it as small as possible) before turning the scope over to
Mars.

A month or two ago, the south polar cap was easier to spot because it
was spring in the southern hemisphere- that's the side tipped towards us
now. Now it is almost summer there, and the cap is fairly small and not
as bright- therefore tougher to spot. If you're really patient, your
scope might also occasionally reveal faint markings on the planet.

I think the biggest problem newbies have is that they're not patient
enough. Don't expect faint detail to immediately jump out at you.
Spend a half hour looking before you say your scope won't show anything.

Good Luck,
Rich