MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Alright, this is for sharing of your observation experience. Or, if you are arranging gatherings, star-gazing expeditions or just want some company to go observing together, you can shout it out here.
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rcj
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MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Post by rcj »

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MARS WATCH 2016 PUBLIC EVENT (UPDATE):
MW2016 is a special public stargazing programme initiated by volunteers from the local astronomy community just this week!! This is in conjunction with the opposition (close encounter) with Mars. Be treated to high-powered views the Red Planet as well as other celestial opportunities, through an assortment of telescope instruments and huge dobsonians.

Details of Event:
Date: THIS SATURDAY 28th May 2016
Time: 2000HRS
Location: East Coast Park Field next to Carpark E2 (if you have come for the Comet Party last January 2015, it is the same place).

Feel free to bring your friends, families and kids! Bring your telescopes too!
Last edited by rcj on Sun May 29, 2016 1:23 am, edited 12 times in total.
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acc
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Re: MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Post by acc »

Will bring my Portaball. See you guys!
We do it in the dark...
Portaball 12.5"
Takahashi Mewlon 210
William Optics 110ED
...and all night long!
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Re: MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Post by rcj »

thats great, acc! see you there!!
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Re: MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Post by rcj »

updated original post.
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Re: MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Post by acc »

Good thing the sky cleared up and we had amazing views of the planets. Good seeing all the new and old faces too!!
We do it in the dark...
Portaball 12.5"
Takahashi Mewlon 210
William Optics 110ED
...and all night long!
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Re: MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Post by wucheeyiun »

Any nice photos to share? , I saw a very nice flt98 belonging to Weixing!
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Re: MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Post by starfinder »

I had a great time last night. Was good to meet up with so many people, esp the veterans!

Things were very unpromising in the afternoon, with heavy clouds blanketing our tropical isle. On the way to ECP near 8pm, it started to drizzle, and at 8.15+, oh no...., it rained quite heavily whilst we were having a light dinner at the nearby hawker centre. At nearly 9pm though, Jupiter and Arcturus valiantly poked through the thinning clouds.

So the scopes were deployed (again) at the huge field next to carpark E2.

We viewed Jupiter and much later Mars and Saturn through a number of scopes, incl Chee Chien's 12.5" Portaball and Elton's 10" Teleport, both with the same mirror provenance, Weixing's William Optics (WO) 98mm and Roy's WO 80mm.

My 7mm Televue Delite eyepiece had its first light, having picked it up from a POPstation that afternoon itself, courtesy of vPost.

As well, eyepieces used included a 4.5mm Televue Delos, 20mm and 5mm Pentax XWs, a very impressive Nikon 5mm (NAV SW I think) and a Televue 8mm Ethos. Elton proclaimed the Nikon as edging out the Pentax ever slightly, and since both had the same owner (the aforesaid quality afficionado), one could not put it down to any subconscious bias.

Views were magnificent thru the scopes. It was a real treat!

Apart from the 3 major visual planets viewed at the same time (it being just a few days past Mars' and a few days before Saturn's Opposition), we also manually located and viewed some DSOs. This included the Swan Nebula M17, the Ring Nebula M57, plus the globulars M13, M22 and Omega Centauri.

The skies were mostly murky in most parts throughout the night with small patches of clarity, but in the Scorpius-Sagittarius region it was crisp, esp in the upper (western) Scorpius region.

I could even make out a faint band of the Milky Way visually at 12.30am, just above the Teapot in Sagittarius, in the correct position and orientation. Weixing confirmed the visual sighting. About a half hour later, it was still there in the same form, so could not have been earthly clouds.

We finally packed up at around 1am, having had a very enjoyable and classic astro visual gathering.

Was good to see so many familiar faces there. Thanks Remus for organising!
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Re: MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Post by Airconvent »

Thanks for the detailed report Gavin and much thanks to Remus and gang for organising the event. Indeed, because of the 15min drizzle earlier in the evening, many people cancelled their attendance which was a pity but it also cleared the car park and made the sky clearer and we had quite good views of the Planets through the night. Met some faces from long ago that I have forgotten (paiseh!) and new faces as well, so can place some nicks to their faces!

As usual, Elton's Teleport was an amazing piece of hardware. Zambuto 10"mirror in a very compact size complete with eyepiece drawer and built-in heaters for both mirrors!
Not forgetting the nice eyepieces and Gavin's direct light "Delite":) Visually, Chee Chien's Portaball "curry pot" with equatorial tracking performs similarly to the Teleport visually but the extras in the Teleport and its potability when stowed made it a joy to use. A pity Elton did not bring his 18 incher due to the rain.

What impressed me the most were the images of Mars and Saturn. This was by far the most impressive view yours truly has ever seen for Mars. I could make out the terrain pattern details and with some guidance, a little bit of the Polar ice cap as well. The image on Saturn was impressive to with tack sharpness on the Cassini division and even some equatorial bands on the planet itself. For Jupiter, later in the evening, we managed to catch the GRS (Great Red Spot) as it spung into view. Overall , the view of the 3 Planets of the night were awesome!
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Re: MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Post by Airconvent »

Chee Chien , who almost turned back due to the rain decided to join us when we reported the rain stopped and sky clearing, setting up his "curry pot".

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Re: MARS WATCH 2016 (THIS SATURDAY 28th MAY)!!!

Post by Airconvent »

Elton setting up his Teleport...

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