Dito Jay. Rich N., Alan Adler, Kent, and I were set up as volunteers to the Lick summer program just outside of the Lick 36" dome on Saturday night. The outside conditions all night were: temp. 72 degrees, humidity 17%, calm with occassional 1-3 mph breeze, transparency good. There were about 80 visitors to show various DSO's to including half of our time focused on Mars. I had my A-P 10" Mak-Cass, Rich N. an A-P180 EDT, Alan Adler his 8" f/6 adjustable mirror Newtonian, and Kent a 12" Mead LX.
Mars was easily visible as it rose looming very red just above the SE horizon. There was no twinkle on Mars and Antares while they were only 10 degs above the horizon. By 10pm, Mars was already showing many markings artound the Mare Simarium area along with its two polar caps. The south polar cap was nicely thin and long edged with a darker area, while at the opposite side of Mars, the northern polar cap looked small and round. My 10" Mak was clearly using its stuff by 11 pm on Mars. The seeing allowed me to use my 10mm Abbe and 8mm Brandon eyepieces on a Baader binoviewer yielding 462X and 578X. Mars is so bright in my 10" that the binoviewer does improve seeing marrtiuan surface detail by lowering that brightness a bit. The bino was a hit with all the other viewers. Martian surface detail was too much to mention with many very small dotted featrures coming through along with subtile gradations in the plains areas and textural features in the mare regions. The amount of detail I saw throuh my 10" Mak easily was greater than on any map I've seen lately. Syrtis rounded the corner by 12am and showed its border's scalloping detail and tiny notches. Saturday night was truly a best to date night for me and my new 10" Mak.
Unfortunately, my view inside the dome of Mars through the great 36" was a let down after what we were seeing outside in our 'modest' instruments. The 36" was hastely positioned on Mars after the general public had left by 12:30am. The 50mm plossel being used was grossly underpowering the giant and it was not very clean exhibiting a smeared haze over the eye lense. My view was compromised also by the scope not being focused for my eyes. All I saw was a small disk with some dark markings and a glorious pink chromatic haze surrounding it. Where's that smaller focuser that could be mounted right at the eyepiece in the goliath. The only way to focus the 36" is to turn the large 'bus drivers' wheel at the end of the telescope. Well, ther's alway the next time. I'll bring my own eyepiece and I'll refocus the scope.