Star-Gazing Night - Saturn, Mars and Winter Objects (19-3-2010)

It was the final chance to see Mars at its best in 2 years. Using a 12 inch dobsonian telescope, we observed the white polar cap in awe, and some careful observers could even glimpse some dark surface markings. Of course we did not miss M42, the Great Nebula of Orion. While the poor transparency and light pollution diminished its beauty somewhat, we were still intrigued particularly by the subtle colours revealed by the four stars of the trapezium. The night ended with the ever crowd-pleasing Saturn, three days before its opposition. Apart from enjoying the powerful light-gathering capacity of the big telescope, we also had fun with a 6 inch reflector, installed with a mirror grinded by a student.