How much power on Mars?

Hi, Under good conditions how much power is rekomended on Mars. I just have one eyepiece,a Meade 3000 25mm (81x) my telescope is an Meade Lx10.I think 81x thats way to low power. Iam about to buy one Celestron Ultima barlow 2x and one 15mm Meade 4000 eyepiece, i hope that will help me out a little bit.

Clear Skies Anders Asp (E-Tuna, Sweden)

Hello Anders,

I have a simmilar SCT telescope: Celestron C-8 (203mm,f/10) and I can get the best views with a 9mm eyepiece for the planets (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, etc.), but only on a good seeing night. The 2x Barlow is a good way to double your eyepiece collection. With a 26mm eyepiece, you get to change it into a 13mm. You might also want a 2.5 x Barlow which will get you more magnification, but maybe too much unless your seeing (atmospheric conditions) are better than mine.

Cheers,

Ed

Hello there Anders,

Mars is small and if your Meade LX10 has good optics and seeing permit, use as much power as you feel comfortable. I find that 200x is a start of a good view and more when possible is better. Here's an excellent article on Mars, how to observe the planet and power recommendation.
http://www.arksky.org/mars2003.htm

Ron B[ee]