High Resolution Mars Video from 5 inch Refractor

This is my first attempt at making a Mars video. I used a Takahashi 130 TOA refractor to shoot the movie. Its actually a span of 3 hours time. Hopefully in the coming month I will be able to capture a more interesting and detailed side of Mars.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Mars
• planet
• solar system

[cole15miller]

so bigger the mm the closer it is?

[armicheal]

@cole15miller - The focal length determines how close you get but in the above case I was refering to the size of the telescope's main aperture or lens. My scope has a 130mm aperture or lens and its focal length can be stretched by using barlows or focal extenders to about F40~F50 before the image becomes to dim to image or it blurs out. The larger the front lens or aperture the more light you'll take in.

[nehal0001]

can a 60mm telescope do dis stuff??

[armicheal]

@nehal0001 - With a high quality 60mm telescope you would see something but I don't know how much of the surface detail would resolve. Mars is at the limit of my 130mm Tak telescope as you can see from the video the slightest change in seeing conditions will blur the surface details.

[astrofranck]

Very beautiful! I like it!!!

[armicheal]

Thanks, I hope the seeing clears up here long enough for me to capture the more interesting side of Mars. I did find the coulds interesting though. I can't say I really thought about Mars having clouds until I started shooting the videos. Now I'm wondering what kind of clouds they are.

[bugatti1141]

i can never find neptune but i did so cool!

[maha77]

amazing!

[HaCkeerZ]

can a 500 mm do this ?

[SoUnDoLe]

That's really nice. I'm impressed you can easily resolve the polar caps using a home refractor scope.

[3DPlanets]

@armicheal

Probably dust clouds. The only other clouds on Mars are fog and wispy cirrus.