Awesome post as always! I haven't seen mars at a close pass yet. Have barely managed to resolve the Polar caps with my 8" dob.

Didn't know that Olympus Mons is resolvable with amateur telescopes! Do you think an 8" with average optics can resolve it?

Unfornutaley the perigee this year will be during the monsoons in my location, so will be missing it. I have just a couple of weeks of good weather left from now.