Thursday, February 18, 2010

Can we view clear images of the surface of Planet mars by using a telescope?

Can we see the surface of mars by using a telescope from hear?Can we view clear images of the surface of Planet mars by using a telescope?
Most people use their eyes when using their telescopes, not their ears. Could you possibly mean from HERE meaning a place like the planet Earth? If you mean a place like the planet Earth, depending on the size of the telescope, we can see things like the martian polar ice caps, mountain ranges, and larger atmospheric disturbances like dust storms on the face of the planet. If you mean clear images showing surface details such as rocks and boulders, then no, we must rely on orbiting and surface probes to get close surface details. Can we view clear images of the surface of Planet mars by using a telescope?
It depends on the telescope and the location of Mars. When Mars was close to the Earth during the oppositions from 2001 to 2007, I could see the polar caps with a 100mm telescope. Now that Mars is farther away, it would require a much larger telescope. The polar caps can be seen with the Hubble telescope virtually anytime Mars is visible.





Anybody can apply for time on the Hubble telescope, but their observing project must pass very stringent tests, which usually means that only professional astronomers qualify. Also, the Hubble telescope is currently out of commission.
Yes we can. Mars sometimes has dust storms that obscure the surface, but when the air on Mars is clear we can see the surface.





You can see the ice caps and some other large features with a small telescope, but not very clearly. See the pictures in the source that I took with a 6 inch telescope.





So many people want to use the Hubble telescope that there is not time to allow all of them to do so. So you have to apply to a committee that chooses who gets to use it. It is possible for regular people to use it if your proposed observing program is deemed scientifically important by the committee. Just looking for fun would not be accepted though.



We can't see much detail of Mars' surface with Earth-mounted telescopes due to atmospheric blurring. We can see major features such as the polar caps, mountain ranges, and even huge dust storms, but not individual geological features (mountains, valleys, etc.).





You can see the polar caps with a good amateur telescope. Size is not very important because Mars is a fairly bright object, but good optical quality is a must. You need at least 200x magnification, so a good 4'; refractor or 6'; SCT will do.





The Hubble space telescope can deliver much more detailed images, but it's resolution is still limited to objects bigger than approx. 25 km. Anything smaller is beyond its reach. And no, you can't use the Hubble telescope for your observations. You can apply for Hubble time, but the waiting list is several years long, and the allocation is based on the scientific relevance of the request, judged by a panel of scientist. I don't think your request would have a chance.





The real revolution in terms of Mars surface exploration was made possible with space probes that can photograph Mars surface from only thousands and even hundreds kilometers above its surface.
I've seen a Martian polar cap in an 8 inch telescope at opposition (closest approach). This wasn't just at the 2003 mega closest opposition.





While the HST is used to image Mars, the instruments that really do well are the ones a little closer to it. I like the MRO - the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images. Each pixel can cover an area as small as 18 inches (about a half meter). The Mars rovers can get images where each pixel is about a tenth of a millimeter. And Phoenix could image large bacteria, if they exist. Phoenix has tasted Mars - something the HST could never do.





There is a planet close enough for my back yard telescope to get data like that. The Earth.





In some sense, everyone can use Hubble. You can download images that have been taken for free right from where you're sitting. There's quite an archive. You'll have to have a very good proposal to actually point the HST at anything. Most proposals are rejected.





This isn't the best time to see detail on Mars. Next opposition is January 2010. Last time i looked, Mars was an orange blob in my 10 inch. But that might have been when i was misaligning my scope with a misaligned laser collimator.









yes you could quite easily see the surface of Mars using the hubble telescope
No, not with a home telescope.





And you misspelled 'here'.





Not trying to be mean, or anything.
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