Observation by Paul G. Abel: Mars this morning!

Uploaded by

Paul G. Abel

Observer

Paul G. Abel

Observed

2020 Jul 11 - 01:37

Uploaded

2020 Jul 11 - 14:21

Objects

Mars

Equipment

203mm Newtonian Reflector
x167 & x200

Title

Mars this morning!

About this image

Attached is a drawing of Mars I made this morning. The planet is now a reasonable size at 12.4" and very noticeable in the sky. At present, I could only reach it with my 8" Newtonian but as seeing was around AIII-IV, this was quite sufficient.

I was quite struck by how muted the features appeared on the Martian disk. Erythraeum, Dawes Bay and other features were not particularly striking. I had a fairly clear impression of yellow dust both on the limb and covering Solis Lacus and perhaps into Erythraeum and extending to the Argyre basin in the far south.

The southern polar cap was particularly brilliant,t with vague darker patch present inside. The Lowell band was particularly dark (probably the darkest feature on the disk) and seemed to be irregular in a number of places rather than a smooth band. To the far north, the limb was a whitish colour.

Best wishes,

-Paul

Files associated with this observation

Mars_2020-07-11_0237UT_visual_PAbel.png (232.7 kB)

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Jimmy Fraser, Mr Michael Alan Frost, Graham Winstanley, David Basey, Nick Hewitt, Peter Carson, Jeremy Shears, Andy Wilson

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