Mars Images - 2001

January

1

                                                                           
Ivano Dal Prete
Saturn Section Recorder,UAI (Italian Union of Amateur Astronomers).
 
January, 2001 in Verona (Italy).
It's a visual observation, made with an 8' newtonian, magnification 360. Seeing
was poor, but I could get some moments of good definition anyway. Though a
color drawing, I often used a yellow filter (w12) during the observation.
Bright clouds over east Chryse were clearly visible, a bit less bright than NPC
and possibly with extensions over Thyamiamata. Brightening along terminator is
also possible, but not sure. The disk often seemed slightly brighter over Arabia
and possibly Moab, but this is uncertain too due the bad seeing, which was more
limiting for my observation than the tiny size of the disk. It's quite
incredible, in effect, to realize how many details a careful observer can spot
on such a little disk.
 
DATE: 01/01/2001
U.T. 05:25
INST. Newton 200/6, 360x, filter w12.
SEEING: IV (Antoniadi)
CM: 348=B0
Aeroc. Long: 97
P=3D38
Dt(tilt)=3D18=B0,5
Diam: 5",2              

12

Date (UT): January 12, 2001
Time (UT): 11:00 (left image, Wratten 23A)
           11:10 (right image, Wratten 47 and 64)
Observer: Carlos E. Hernandez
CM: 322.7 (left image)
    325.1 (right image)
Ls: 102.1, De: 15.8, Ds: 24.2, Dia.: 5.6"
Tel.: 8-inch (20-cm) f/10 Sch/Cass
Mag.: 290x, 406x
Filters: Wratten 23A, 47,64
Seeing (1-10): 5-7, Antoniadi (I-V): III-II
Transparency (1-6): 5
Violet (W47, or Blue) Clearing: 0-1

Notes:
11:00 UT (left image): North Polar Cap (NPC, 10/10) appears brilliant 
surrounded by a dark (3/10) collar consisting of Ortygia and Cecropia
Syrtis Major (3/10) appears as a dark, "wedge-shaped" albedo feature 
towards the p. limb with an extremely bright (9/10) cloud north of it over 
Meroe Insula/Aeria Sinus Sabaeus/Sinus Meridiani (3-4/10) appear prominent 
towards the southern limb (western half of Sinus Meridiani appears to 
partially obscured by haze) Hellespontus/Mare Australe (3-4/10) 
appear as a dark to dusky border to the extremely bright South Polar 
Hood (SPH) Mare Acidalium (3/10) appears prominent towards the Nf limb 
(haze partially obscuring it's western half)

11:10 UT (right image): Extremely bright (910) morning limb haze (MLH), 
North Polar Region (NPR), evening limb haze (ELH) , and South Polar Hood 
(SPH) A very bright to extremely bright 
(8-9/10) wedge-shaped cloud over Chryse-Eden-Arabia

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INFORMATION FOR MARS OBSERVATION, JANUARY 13th, 2001.

D. A. Peach, King's Lynn, Norfolk, UK.
12" (30.5cm) Meade SCT. 
Magnifications: 406X.
Filters: W#21 Filter.

Seeing poor-fair (2-5), deteriorated later.
Tranparency excellent (5.5mag.)
No wind, light dew.

Observation Time: 06:40 - 07:00 UT
Mars CML: 252.4
Ls: 102.5
Diameter: 5.60"

Comments: Fast seeing conditions made for a rather low contrast view, but there
were frequent glimpses of detail. Hellas was very distinct, and was easily observed.
The Albedo features appeared of low contrast, but Syrtis Major, Mare Cimmerium and Utopia
were all observed with certainty. The NPC appeared small and bright. No other cloud markings
observed (probably due to the seeing conditions.)

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INFORMATION FOR MARS OBSERVATION, JANUARY 16th, 2001.

D. A. Peach, King's Lynn, Norfolk, UK.
12" (30.5cm) Meade SCT. 
Magnifications: 406X.
Filters: Unfiltered & W#21 Filter.

Seeing poor-fair (3-6.)
Tranparency good (4.0mag), increasing haze/clouds late.
No wind. Moderate dew. 

Observation Time: 05:50 - 06:15 UT
Mars CML: 211.3	
Ls: 103.8
Diameter: 5.70"

Comments: Periods of reasonable seeing allowed a good amount of detail to be observed.
A distinct Morning Limb Haze was observed over Syrtis Major. Also a fairly prominent 
evening limb cloud/haze over Tharsis. I think the Tharsis haze/cloud is probably associated 
with Olympus Mons.  Elysium not detected with certainty. NPC small and bright.
Mare Cimmerium distinct, as was Utopia.

MARS IMAGES 16 Jan., 2001

D.C. Parker, Coral Gables, FL.  Lynxx PC camera  16-in (41cm) F/6 NEWTONIAN
            Eyepiece Projection @ f/55.2
            Integration Times:
    BLUE (Koheisha, 445nm peak central; BWHM 105nm)   7.20s
    GREEN (Koheisha, 540nm peak central; BWHM 75nm)   2.80s
    RED (RG610 - No IR Rejection)                     0.72s
                     Images flat and dark corrected.
Seeing poor (3-4) but occasionally fairly good. Transparency 4.5m.
No Wind. Altitude = 40-44 degrees. Heavy dew. Blue and Green images
are composites.
Very bright morning limb cloud. Some cloud noted over Libya.

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28

MARS IMAGES 28 Jan., 2000

D.C. Parker, Coral Gables, FL.  Lynxx PC camera  16-in (41cm) F/6 NEWTONIAN
            Eyepiece Projection @ f/55.2
            Integration Times:
    BLUE (Koheisha, 445nm peak central; BWHM 105nm)   8.60s
    GREEN (Koheisha, 540nm peak central; BWHM 75nm)   3.40s
    RED (RG610 - No IR Rejection)                     0.68s
                     Images flat and dark corrected.
Seeing fair (5-6). Transparency variable (2-4.5m) due to frequent alto cirrus.
Wind ENE 0-5 kts. Altitude = 44 degrees. No dew. All images are composites.
Trivium-Cerebrus and Propontis-I dark. Olympus Mons orographic cloud on
terminator. Very bright morning limb cloud again noted. Delicate clouds over
Zephyria and Amazonis.

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2001/01/29 21:20:30(UT) 
Ls=109.95 CM=310.21 
De=+12.68 Dia= 6.22"
310mm Newtonian(F5) TeleVue barlow 5x(f/43) 
NEC PICONA 1/7sec 2 deg. prism  21 frames composite
Toshihiko-Ikemura Japan

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2001/01/30 21:20:20(UT) 
Ls=110.40 CM=300.56 
De=+12.46 Dia= 6.26"
P=38.1096753 
310mm Newtonian(F5) TeleVue barlow 5x(f/43) 
NEC PICONA 1/7sec 2 deg. prism  5 frames composite
Toshihiko-Ikemura Japan

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MARS IMAGES 31 Jan., 2000

D.C. Parker, Coral Gables, FL.  Lynxx PC camera  16-in (41cm) F/6 NEWTONIAN
            Eyepiece Projection @ f/55.2
            Integration Times:
    BLUE (Koheisha, 445nm peak central; BWHM 105nm)   7.20s
    GREEN (Koheisha, 540nm peak central; BWHM 75nm)   2.80s
    RED (RG610 - No IR Rejection)                     0.68s
                     Images flat and dark corrected.
Seeing fair (5-6), improving later with fog. Transparency 4.0m.
No wind. Altitude = 34-45 degrees. No dew. All images are composites.
Propontis-I and Hades I - Phlegra dark on morning limb.
Olympus Mons orographic cloud building as local noon passes.
Very bright morning limb cloud again noted. Evening orographics very bright
over Tharsis volcanos.