Mars Images — MarsWatch 2005
Sunday, 16th of October 2005
These pictures were taken in Augsburg Germany with a C11 using a 13mm
Plössl for projection and a toucam pro 740.
Seeing 4-5 (pickering)
Transparency: slight fog
Baader UV/IR filter
Hole in the NPH has moved polewards since (my images) yesterday.
Juergen Riedmann
Mars imaged with intermittent "earth clouds" passing through, view of Solis
Lacus region. Note the prominent and small clouds near the southern polar
area; minimal exposure of the NP hood at this longitude, and this restricted
to very high northern latitudes, except for very bright and large knot/cloud
near terminator.
Dr. P. Clay Sherrod
Arkansas Sky Observatories
Sketch of Mars, Oktober 16 2005 / 20.45 UT
Meade ETX 105 Mak with Vixen Zoom 24-8 @ x180
With filter Baader Contrast Booster
Seeing 2.5/5 – Trans : full moon
Seeing is poor, with moments of average seeing.
Rony De Laet, Bekkevoort, Belgium (Sea Level)
http://www.geocities.com/rodelaet
Monday, 17th of October 2005
MARS IMAGES, OCTOBER 17th, 2005.
D. A. Peach. Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, UK.
14" (35cm) Celestron SCT @ f/39.5.
Lumenera LU075M CCD camera.
Seeing fair to poor (Pickering 5-3.)
Transparency fair (2.0-3.0mag) mist/haze/sctt low clouds.
Wind SE (5-10mph.) Heavy dew.
Alt= 50-55 degs.
Here are some images from last night. Fair to poor seeing.
Some interesting detail in Blue light. A clumpy evening cloud is present over
Libya/Southern Syrtis Major. Hellas is free of mist. The NPH is again thick
extending over Acidalium. Note the detail around the SPC in red.
MARS IMAGES, OCTOBER 17th, 2005.
D. A. Peach. Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, UK.
14" (35cm) Celestron SCT @ f/39.5.
Lumenera LU075M CCD camera.
Seeing fair to poor (Pickering 5-3.)
Transparency fair (2.0-3.0mag) mist/haze/sctt low clouds.
Wind SE (5-10mph.) Heavy dew.
Alt= 50-55 degs.
Here are some images from last night. Fair to poor seeing.
Some interesting detail in Blue light. A clumpy evening cloud is present
over Libya/Southern Syrtis Major. Hellas is free of mist. The NPH is again
thick extending over Acidalium. Note the detail around the SPC in red.
Here are images of Mars taken October 17th 2005 from Houston Texas.
Note the dust cloud feature in Chryse.
C14 at f/39,taken with a ST402 CCD. Seeing 8/10, Transp. 8/10, Temp 65.7F,
Relative Humidity 67%, Red/Grn/Blu @ 80% scale.
Ed Grafton
Mars this morning under not so steady skies, temps dropping 42 degrees
overnight. Some small blue-white patches of cloud or fog noted in the
Chryse/Lunae Palus region; the North Polar Hood has anything but retreated
in this longitudinal expanse, encroaching far southward into the Zanthe area.
Dr. P. Clay Sherrod
Arkansas Sky Observatories
Sketch of Mars, Oktober 17 2005 / 21.00 UT
Meade ETX 105 Mak with Vixen Zoom 24-8 @ x180
With filter Baader Contrast Booster
Seeing 2.0/5 – Trans : full moon
Seeing is poor, with moments of average seeing.
Rony De Laet, Bekkevoort, Belgium (Sea Level)
http://www.geocities.com/rodelaet
Tuesday, 18th of October 2005
Here are images of Mars taken October 18th 2005 from Houston Texas.
The dust cloud has moved south quite a bit since yesterday and several
core concentrations are visible in Eos.
C14 at f/39,taken with a ST402 CCD. Seeing 7/10, Transp. 7/10, Temp
68.7F, Relative Humidity 69%, Red/Grn/Blu @ 80% scale.
Ed Grafton
Obtained with a Unitron 4" F/15 refractor (circa 1976)
Using a 2X Barlow
RGB Data: Stack of 90 images in each channel
Time: Centered on 02:15 ut
Date: Oct. 18,2005
CM: 358
Camera: Meade DSI Pro
Note: Image taken under very difficult conditions.
All data was obtained through high thin clouds.
James Hannon
Thomaston, Conn.
TMB 8" F/9
2X Barlow into 3X Barlow
Seeing 7/10
7:00 - 7:03 UT October 18, 2005
Jim Phillips
A new image clearly showing the beautiful and intense yellow dust cloud in
southern Chryse
Dr. P. Clay Sherrod
Arkansas Sky Observatories
10-18-05, 3:04 UT
IRRGB, 7" MN @f/50
Seeing: very poor (surprised it came out this good!)
Sean W.
Wednesday, 19th of October 2005
My image taken on 10/19/2005 shows the dust activity in the same general
area as images posted recently on www.skyandtelescope.com . The storm
obscures much of Aurorae Sinus, near Mare Erythraeum. I would appreciate
confirmation of dust activity on my image from other observers. I am still
processing images taken 24 hours later as we speak, and will send them as
soon as they are ready. Good observing to all!
Donald R. Bates
Chief Observation Officer
Cypress Creek Station
95.6 deg. West Longitude
30.0 deg. North Latitude
Houston, Texas USA
Here are images of Mars taken October 19th 2005 from Houston Texas.
The main thrust of the cloud continues to move north has and moved into
Valles Marineris.
C14 at f/39,taken with a ST402 CCD. Seeing 7/10, Transp. 7/10, Temp 70.5F,
Relative Humidity 72%.
Ed Grafton
The dust Storm has changed, It is now an irregular serpentine streak.
TMB 8" F/9
2X into 3X Barlow
Seeing 8-9/10
7:09- 7:13 UT October 19, 2005
Jim Phillips
Very notable and curious changes in the dust "event" in Chryse in just the
past 24 hours; note that the characteristic "V" shape of Oct. 18 has totally
given way for a more linear, streak-like feature which is somewhat less
pronounced. A comparison image between these two dates is in preparation
showing the remarkable transformation of this feature....will post shortly.
Dr. P. Clay Sherrod
Arkansas Sky Observatories
Showing the 24-hour change in the Chryse Dust cloud between Oct. 18 and 19,
centered on CM 50; very interesting comparison showing incredibly rapid
morphological change and area coverage.
Dr. P. Clay Sherrod
Arkansas Sky Observatories
Sketch of Mars, Oktober 19 2005 / 21.10 UT
Meade ETX 105 Mak with Vixen Zoom 24-8 @ x180
With filter Baader Contrast Booster
Seeing 2.5 / 5 Trans 3.5 / 5
Seeing is poor, with moments of average seeing.
A strong wind makes observing difficult.
Rony De Laet, Bekkevoort, Belgium (Sea Level)
http://www.geocities.com/rodelaet
Ramiro Hernández Banda , Saltillo, Mx
8" SC Celestron telescope, qwickcam + eyepiece projection UV/IR cut off filter.
Dust storm leaves a new eye for mars in Chryse .
Diameter: 19.8" , -2.1 mag, Phase Angle:0.98, UT=6:55, CM Central Meridian=59 deg.
Here images taken of approximately the same CM, first was captured 10-18,
3:04 UT, while the second is from 10:19, 3:52 UT.
Poor seeing both nights.
7" MN @f/50, ToUcam pro 740
IR+R/G/B
Sean Walker
I use a 12.5-inch x f/6 Newtonian with eyepiece projection to F/60 (750
inches EFL) and a ToUCam Pro 840, processing with Registax3 (402 frames)
0847 UT
CM=85
Wycliffe Hoffler
Titusville, FL
Thursday, 20th of October 2005
Here are images of Mars taken October 20th 2005 from Houston Texas.
The dust cloud has spilled out of Valles Marineris and a few
concentrated dust cores are occupying Mare Erthraeum along with
a generalized dustiness.
C14 at f/39,taken with a ST402 CCD. Seeing 6/10, Transp. 7/10, Temp 71.4F,
Relative Humidity 71%.
Ed Grafton
Series of three images, Oct. 18, 19, 20, showing the 36 hour rapid
transformation, motion and spreading of the dust cloud on Mars; although
the seeing conditions have been quite poor, the cloud can be followed
in its transformation.
Dr. P. Clay Sherrod
Arkansas Sky Observatories
Mars image from 2005/10/20 13:30 UT, imaged from Nagoya, Japan.
Clouds over the Tharsis region can be seen in the image.
Robert Heffner
Nagoya, Japan
I was able to capture another image of the dust storm. Seeing still very poor.
7" MN @f/50, ToUcam pro 740
IR+R/G/B
Sean Walker
Friday, 21st of October 2005
MARS IMAGES, OCTOBER 21-22nd, 2005.
D. Peach. Selsey, W. Sussex, UK
9.25" (23.5cm) Celestron SCT @ f/42.0.
Lumenera LU075M CCD camera.
Seeing again fair to poor (Pickering 6-3.)
Transparency very good (6.0mag) scatt low clouds.
Wind very gusty SW (15-30mph.) No dew.
Alt= 50-55 degs.
Here are some Mars images from October 21-22nd. The first of two nights at
Sir Patrick's Moore's home on the south coast of the UK.
The first set with Syrtis Major central is from the C9.25 hand focused.
Seeing was fair.
The second set is quite a special one, being taken with Patrick's historic
15" F/5.9 Fullerscopes newtonian. This telescope is famous among anyone who
has ever read his books, with him often being picture alongside it. He made
many observations of Mars, and the other Planets with this telescope and it
though having observed before through this telescope, it was a special moment
to obtain some images of Mars with this historic telescope. Selsey astronomer
Ian Sharp and Myself combined efforts for the second set of images from the
newtonian under poorer seeing.
Here are images of Mars taken October 21th 2005 from Houston Texas. The
dust storm had moved farther South and West into Solas Lacus and deeper
into Mare Erthraeum. Several dust cores can be seen in these areas
against a general backdrop of yellow dustiness. In this image the
North Polar Hood is very prominent. The red deserts, blue polar and
limb clouds and the yellow dust storm are quite impressive.
C14 at f/39,taken with a ST402 CCD. Seeing 6/10, Transp. 7/10, Temp 73.4F,
Relative Humidity 73%.
Ed Grafton
An animation prepared from ASO images (Oct. 18, 19, 20 and 21); the face of
Mars is changing remarkably and quickly as the dust moves over and settles
in some places and transits others; the storm is basically heading south and
thinning, but spreading greatly in terms of surface areas.
Photo .gif with 1700 images for each night, 1/20th sec via TouCam with
the ASO 0.4m RC @ f/32; seeing pretty variable and typically poor.
Dr. P. Clay Sherrod
Arkansas Sky Observatories
Please find attached a montage showing Mars near CM 50 or thereabouts
for the past four mornings, Oct. 18, 19, 20 and 21; the development,
motion and distribution of the new yellow dust storm can well be appreciated
in this sequence.
Dr. P. Clay Sherrod
Arkansas Sky Observatories
Ramiro Hernández Banda , Saltillo, Mx
8" SC Celestron telescope, QuickCam + eyepiece projection UV/IR cut off filter.
Dust storm spreads over all the martian surface
Diameter: 19.9" , -2.1 mag, Phase:0.98, UT=6:13, CM Central Meridian=32 deg.
Saturday, 22nd of October 2005
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