Mars Opposition 2005

[Retrospector]

So to anyone who's taken a look with a telescope, what do you think of the Mars Opposition on this go-around? I saw it with a 90mm refractor last night. The image was reasonably steady, I went up to about 150x. The disk is noticeably smaller than it was in 2003. But aside from that, my impression is that the South Polar Cap isn't as prominent as it was two years ago.

Has anyone else gotten a look with a better instrument?

[Charity]

I have not gotten a closer look either, my scope is way out dated. Even with the naked eye, you can see the difference from the 2003 event. Though it is still a wonder to behold

[Qazaq2003]

Charity,
 Telescopes don't become outdated, they just become ancient.   As for Mars' appearance this time around, the view is still great with a proper scope, although the planet is not as large in angular size compared to the 2003 event.  Q

[Retrospector]

I guess one must be specific about what's meant by outdated. The laws of optics don't change and telescopes more than a century old still work fine. But from what I can tell, optical glass technology has advanced considerably in recent decades. Maybe, I don't know, with a boost from the semiconductor industry (lenses for pattern creation and transfer). Also computers are now available for optical design. I kind of doubt whether any 50 yr old refractors have fluorite in their objectives. Not to mention the growth in eyepiece variety and quality.

Still, who knows? I've heard that it's still a mystery how Cassini was able to see his division with the instrument he used.