I set my alarm last night for about 2:45 this morning and was rewarded with a great view of Mars through my humble 6-inch f/8 Newtonian. Even at a modest 152x (using an 8mm ploessl) the detail was surprisingly good. Bottom line: you certainly don't have to own a giant light bucket, or wait until the 27th, for spectacular views of the "angry red planet". Tonight's forecast calls for clear skies... Rich __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com