Topic: New VISTA of Orion

[sam]

http://www.universetoday.com/2010/02/10/new-vista-for-orion/

Oh-oh-oh Orion! The new VISTA (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) infrared survey telescope has used its huge field of view to show the full splendor of the Orion Nebula. With its infrared eyes, it has peered deeply into dusty regions that are normally hidden to expose the curious behavior of the very active young stars buried there.

[Clive]

I held a small star party at the top of the apartment building last night and we were looking at Mars and the Orion nebula.  Not ideal observing conditions but not too bad either. 

[sam]

cool... how big is mars at the moment? 

[Clive]

Just past its maximum for this apparition.  It's about 13". 

[sam]

hmmm quite big.

[Clive]

A new member turned up at our society last night and complained that his new 150mm reflecting telescope with a 10 mm eyepiece wouldn't reveal the disc of Mars.     I'm now wondering if he was looking at Betelgeuse by mistake!     He's bringing it along to our observing session next Friday so perhaps we'll solve the mystery!

[sam]

That sounds bloody likely! You need something a bit bigger, e.g. the Hooker telescope, to get the disk of that object :-D

Maybe he was expecting to see canals... 

[Clive]