Moon, Mars and Saturn on the Fourth of July

Date: 2014-07-06 UT
Time: 01:10 +0000 (time started)
Location: Peachtree City, GA
Telescopes:Date: 2014-07-06 UT Time: 01:10 +0000 (time started)
Location: Peachtree City, GA
Telescopes: Dob 10.1-in f/4.5 and stopped down to 3.5-in f/13
Telescopes: Celestron C8 f/11
Dob Magnification: 44x and 114x
C8 Magnification:  89x
Objects:  Moon, Mars, Saturn
Seeing:  2  (1=worst, 4=best)
Atmosphere:  Hazy with bright Moon by Spica


I set up both telescopes for the first time.  I was amazed to discover that Mars was so close to the Moon.   I'd known about this conjunction but had forgotten.

The Moon was amazing.  The seeing was actually apparently better on the moon but most observing of it was at the 44x and 89x mags.   The seeing looked like 4 or so.  I clearly saw the Straight Wall between those two "sharp" craters.  The Appenines Mountains were very prominent.  The terminator relief was amazing.

Mars was a jumbled blur of images.   As the 8-in started to settled down I caught glimpses of the ice cap.  I think other detail was there but the image never settled down and my observing technique seems to be less than what it used to be.   However, I didn't study Mars for a long, many-minutes' time which I'm sure would have revealed more detail.

Saturn's rings were very wide open.  At 114x I caught a glimpse of Titan.  I should have removed the 3-in mask but forgot about that for "moon" watching.  I didn't looking for deeper details.

All the time I was showing objects to my nieces and nephews and brothers- and sisters- and mother-in-law.