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      THE INTERNATIONAL MARSWATCH ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
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                     Volume 5; Issue 5 -alert-
                       Jun 28, 2001
                     Circulation: 1466

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(1) Dust storm alert message

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I have just received this dust cloud alert message sent via
the Mars Section of the Oriental Astronomical Association
(http://homepage2.nifty.com/~cmo/hp.htm ):

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Subject: A Vast Dust Cloud Witnessed!
   Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2001 02:17:36 +0900
   From: Masatsugu MINAMI

Dear Colleagues,

A definite expansion of dust clouds inside and near Hellas has
been observed by a number of CMO observers here in Japan.

The dust cloud has no more particularly bright area, and looks
diffused, but it is definitely a dust phenomenon, as judged from
the ccd images produced by KUMAMORI and MORITA on 26 June,
covering a large region from Hellas to Hesperia. The eastern
part of Hellas is covered by a bright dust streak, and at the
same time M Tyrrhenum looks separated from M Cimmerium by a
broad dust streak. The resonance between them is not clear at
present, but the area inclusive is largely dusty.


KUMAMORI first sent to me a processed image (made from Sony
Video images) taken on 26 June at LCM=277 degrees W (at 14:29
GMT), and meanwhile I received a set of good ST-5C images from
MORITA also on 26 June at LCM=275 degrees W and 285 degrees W.

One hour ago I had a conversation on the phone with ISHADOH at
Okinawa (he was at the eyepiece with a wireless phone), and I am
convinced that the phenomenon is surely developing on the area.

M Tyrrhenum has been slightly faded these days and looked weaker
than Syrtis Mj and M Cimmerium, and showed a much fainter area
inside it near the mouth of Hesperia on 24 June (184 degrees
Ls), as observed from Fukui. Most part of M Tyrrhenum is however
apparent even today according to ISHADOH.

We are suffering from the rainy season in the main island of
Japan, while it ended already in Okinawa, and according to
ISHADOH, he is enjoying the clear skies every night these days,
and has been chasing the dust phenomenon. He is about to send
his drawings by FAX to me. I expect HIGA is also on an alert by
the use of his Video recorder. As to the origin we have no
definite information yet, but I expect to have more data and
news within a few days. AKUTSU is now going to fly to Okinawa on
28 June JST to observe.

The area is at present facing to the Oriental countries, while
its effect may be caught soon in Europe. And we also expect to
receive the data from the US observers of pre-stage of the dust
at the concerned region.

Further news as well as the images will be posted in our CMO
Web-Site.

Thank you for your interest, and I look forward to further
information,
With best wishes

Masatsugu MINAMI at Kyoto on 27 June at 16 hours GMT
Director, the OAA Mars Section

---

Subject: Dust Cloud Further Develops
   Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2001 04:23:28 +0900
   From: Masatsugu MINAMI
     To: cmo@mars.dti.ne.jp

This is a second report:

The dust cloud now shows its vivid aspect, swirling from Hellas 
down to Hesperia. It now shows a bright core at the junction (at 
Ausonia Australis) of the two streaks (one at the eastern Hellas 
and the other at the area between M Tyrrhenum and M Cimmerium).

It is quite big and definite and looks stable.

I have just received two processed image-files from AKUTSU and 
KUMAMORI made this night on 27 June. 

AKUTSU's set of good images were compiled at LCM=258 degrees W 
this night on 27 June at 13:50 GMT, and the bright knot is just 
near the noon. It is shot in all wavelengths, IR, R, G, B as well 
as Int. The images are excellent to the extent that all of the 
known dark markings are clearly produced, and hence the strange 
meandering of the streak is well shown up. He was still at Home 
Observatory (using a 32 cm speculum with Teleris 2) at Tochigi 
this night, but he is going to fly to Okinawa to shoot the cloud 
by the use of a 40 cm spec chez WAKUGAWA from 28 June for four 
days. 

KUMAMORI succeeded to shoot the dust cloud slightly earlier at 
LCM= 248 degrees W by the use of a 60 cm Cassegrain at Sakai, 
Osaka equipped with a Sony TRV-900 Video Camera. The still image 
is a composite of 380 frames (this is nowadays possible!) and 
since he used an artificial colour to feature the cloud, the area 
covered by the dust is clearly identified.

The spc is still clearly seen (ina smaller size, but well whitish 
bright) and the nph also develops.

I hear HIGA was also aware of the phenomenon independently.

We are going to update the CMO Gallery with these images if the 
day breaks and our working colleague is not so busy.

---

Subject: PS: Dust Cloud Further Develops
      Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2001 04:59:37 +0900
      From: Masatsugu MINAMI
        To: cmo@mars.dti.ne.jp

PS or a third short report: 

Yukio MORITA has just completed his images at LCM=264 degrees W. 
It shows more Hellas side, and proves that the streak inside 
Hellas has further developed as well as the forgoing streak's 
winding.

Just a comment: Mare Cimmerium is completely out of the cloud, 
not affected by the cloud yet. The cloud is located to the west 
of the line of 250 degrees W. Even the tip of the NW end of M 
Cimmerium is clearly visible.

I am sorry I must go to bed, and so details with a filing of the 
images will be done this evening JST.

----

I look forward to seeing the images and hope we can get others
out to keep track of this storm.
				- Dave

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Marswatch WWW sites:
	http://elvis.rowan.edu/marswatch/
	http://www.astroleague.org/marswatch/
	http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/mpf/marswatch.html
	http://astrosun.tn.cornell.edu/marsnet/mnhome.html

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Questions, comments, concerns, and contributions to:
David R. Klassen                             voice: 856-256-4500 x3273
Department of Chemistry & Physics              fax: 856-256-4478
Rowan University
201 Mullica Hill Road                        klassen@rowan.edu
Glassboro, NJ 08028                          http://elvis.rowan.edu/~klassen