I just took my brand new 8" reflector out tonight and observed, among other things, Mars. The nice thing about taking this hobby up at the age of 52 is that I've acquired some patience over the years. I found Mars, but the resolution was not what I expected. However it was right where it was supposed to be, and clearly a disc at 48x and 120x. It was washed out and a little fuzzy, but there seems to be a bit of haze here, and I attributed it to that. Folks on astronomy.com forum, afterwards, helped me to understand a lot of what I observed. For example, to get decent planetary detail, one needs at least 200 power, which I will be able to get easily by purchasing a barlow lens. Also, a red or orange filter helps bring out Martian detail. The people who subscribe to that forum have a wealth of experience that they are more than happy to share.
M42 was simply amazing, I am flabbergasted and amazed and full of wonder.
Lessons learned tonight: need a barlow and some filters and I should be good to go for years. Also learned that an 8" Dobsonian is a fantastic first scope.
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