ophiucus.png (PNG Image, 362 × 477 pixels) - Scaled (87%)
28-yr cal cycle (18 days after Friday the 13)_Came home transfixed over yesterdays Mars at opposition. Today, Tue. 31 July, it seems pretty big. I only managed to center it in the celestron refractor telescope with the long lens. The angle was in an awkward position about five fingers above Eastern Horizon. Kept rotating the telescope on its hinges, loosening the vice grips to rotate the refractor lens. Right now that poor telescope couldn't tell you which way is up. But I caught a glimpse of Mars! Maybe I could've again at its highest azimuth, but I would have had to go outside for that and though the weather's nice, I keep getting bit.
Woulda been nice. I've got a portable AC fan on medium, but the temperature outside feels better than indoors right now. It's 75°F right now. That means it's about 80°F inside my house. 83°F I stand corrected.
As the red planet traversed my lens, facing East 105° E, it took a left to right path. That, against the refraction that goes on inside the telescope is probably right to left. And it's wierd because when your sitting in front of the viewfinder, you facing due south. So the path of the red planet traveling to the right of the lens and exiting the viewfinder there makes it seem it took a westerly direction.