Posts Made By: Carlos E. Hernandez

Ed,

A very nice first drawing of Mars. This is not an easy planet to draw as the albedo features are usually not of high contrast. This super-perihelic apparition allows the albedo features to be seen like no other recent time (of course barring a dust storm). Russell provides some very good pointers in observing Mars. Filters and/or an apodizing screen will attenuate the brightness of Mars which may irradiate the eye and produce a loss of contrast, as Russell also points out. The only way to improve your eye is to practice. We all look forward to your future observations of Mars. The Jupiter observation (S-L 9) is a good one as well.

Carlos

Jake,

Congratulations on an excellent image of Mars. It appears similar to my drawing made on July 27th. The yellowish haze along the following (morning) limb in your image may
represent dust in the martian atmosphere, especially over the Chryse-Xanthe region. This bears monitoring in the future. The South Polar Cap (SPC) does appear to have shrunk over the last few weeks and we are now noticing the outliers (e.g. Novissima Thyle) more readily.

Please keep up the excellent work!

Carlos

Paul and Michael,

I would be happy to identify the major features recorded in Paul's excellent sketch of Mars.

The brilliant South Polar Cap (SPC) is noted at the top of the image surrounded by a thin dark colar. The dark, circular albedo feature adjacent to the SPC and preceding the CM may represent Mare Chronium. The dark albedo feature towards the left (preceding or evening) limb is Mare Cimmerium and it's sharp following point Sinus Gomer. Mare Tyrrhenum is on the CM as well as Syrtis Minor. The bright feature separating Mare Cimmerium and Mare Tyrrhenum is Hesperia. The dark band connecting Mare Cimmerium to Mare Chronium is Simois. The thinner band following this is Scamander. The light to gray, circular features over the top portion of the observation represent Phaethontis, Electris, Eridania, Ausonia, and Hellas (preceding to following). Syrtis Major is visible towards the following (morning) limb. Iapygia Viridis and Mare Serpentis are visible south of Syrtis Major. I believe the dark albedo feature towards the bottom left of the observation to be the Hyblaeus Extension. The lighter regions visible are Aeolis, Aethiopis, Libya, Aetheria, and Aeria, from preceding to following limbs.

I hope that the descriptions above help to identifu the features recorded. Happy Mars Observing!

Carlos

Doug,

An excellent sketch of Mars, even for a seasoned observer. You have captured the shapes and intensities of the major albedo features very well. The South Polar Cap (SPC) is well rendered and you even indicated a bright zone within it (dashed lines). Please keep up the good work.

I believe the 8-inch (f/6-8) Newtonian reflector to be the instrument which would please the majority of planetary observers for a lifetime. This size instrument has enough aperture to resolve most features over the planets, but small enough to beat the average seeing cell (~10 inches). I have owned an excellent 8-inch F/7.5 Newtonian for many years which I made many planetary observations with. Here are some from the 1996-97 Mars apparition http://astrosun.tn.cornell.edu/marsnet/imw96-97.html

Happy Mars Observing!

Carlos

Angel,

Congratulations on an excellent image of Mars showing much detail over the red planet, especially over the Hellas and Syrtis Major regions. Mars is presenting a great target for imagers over the world at this time.

The bright albedo feature that you imaged east of the northern half of Syrtis Major is named Osiridis Promontorium. This feature has actually been observed by Mars observers since the late 1800's. It is a low-lying region adjacent to an elevated plain (Syrtis Planitia) which holds surface fog/haze at times as you have captured in your image. Another area in which haze is noted consistentlly is Libya to the south (also present in your image). It is important to monitor Mars for the development of dust activity, but the majority of bright (white) phenomena observed and/or imaged will most probably be water-ice related in nature.

Please keep up your excellent Mars imaging!

Carlos

Ron,

An excellent sketch of Mars and a very informative report on the new TMB Monocentric eyepiece. It is difficult to observe Mars at this time and not note much detail across it's surface. The next few weeks will be very interesting. The TMB Monocentric appears to be both sharp and provide much contrast on the planets. After the observer gets used to the smaller field of view then the differences between it and other eyepiece designs is evident. Please continue to provide us with your excellent observations.

Carlos

Sol,

A wonderful observation of Mars showing much detail between Mare Sirenum (on the right in this image) and Mare Cimmerium (with fangs) on the left. The mottled region to the south is Mare Chronium and the lighter regions are Eridania, Electris, and Phaethontis (from left to right). The bright, curved streak south of Mare Cimmerium is Hesperia. The bright streak separating Mare Cimmerium from Mare Sirenum is Atlantis. Trivium Charontis is shown similar to many images obtained showing it as a small, dark circle. An outstanding example of what the eye and hand can accomplish. Bravo!!!

The fangs projecting from the northern border of Mare Cimmerium are more closely related to an albedo feature noted by the famed German astronomer Johann Hieronymus Schroter http://www.nmsi.ac.uk/piclib/imagerecord.asp?id=10324083 in the late 1700's named Cyclops (or Spitz B). The fangs represent the east-west borders of this transient feature. Laestrygonium Sinus is actually more to the west and was noted to be an elongated albedo feature (east-west) and not recorded as a projection (north-south). These features are obviously produced by the redristibution of martian sand exposing the dark volcanic bedrock underneath.

Bruce

Wonderful image of Mars. Please keep up the good work!

Carlos

Sol,

An outstanding and highly detailed observation of Mars. You have captured a plethora of features that are hard to describe. I believe you recorded orographic (mountain-associated) clouds over Arsia Mons and Olympus Mons in your observation. I look forward to your future observations.

My schedule in the ER, medical conferences, and the weather have prevented me from making my own observations.

Carlos

Paul,

An excellent example of your observational and mapping skills. You have recorded the general appearance of the planet very well. The last map obviously shows the most features. Please keep up the outstanding work.

Carlos

Doug,

An excellent observation of Mars showing the regions between Solis Lacus (left, or preceding) and Mare Sirenum (right, or following). The South Polar Cap (SPC) is well rendered and irregular. Please keep up the excellent work.

Carlos