Monterey

by Peter Natscher

I ended up observing from my driveway for an hour between 9-11pm. The seeing was ok but the seeing and sky transparency here was poor-- bright sky, jet stream, and the humidity or marine layer here in Monterey. 420X binoviewing with the Mak-Cass showed some detail but not even a S. polar cap appearing on the large Martian disk. At this power, turbulence was clearly showing up on star's diffraction patterns--seeing 5/10. Three weeks ago up at FPOA, seeing and Mars was superb. I want to get out observing this week after this weather system blows thru even if it's in my driveway again. Mars is at opposition now at 20 arc-sec diameter, and won't be as big as it is now until 2016?

Posted on sf-bay-tac Nov 07, 2005 06:51:22 PT
Converted by report.pm 1.2 Mar 16, 2006 19:24:06 PT