Bright feature on Mars 11:00 UK time

[Ags]

I was observing Mars last night and saw a bright region on the planet in addition to the north pole. If the North Pole was at 1:30 on the clock, the bright feature was on the limb of the planet at 10:00 o'clock. Stellarium shows a bright region at that point, but what is it? Any ideas? It was much brighter than the North Pole (which seems to have got less pronounced over the past month...).

[John]

The Sky & Telescope Mars Profiler shows the Hellas Basin as a large paler area of terrain - could it have been that feature ?

[DarkerSky]

If it was on the limb then I think you will have seen Martian clouds / haze. Well done! From your description it sounds like it was on the morning limb -i.e. the limb from where features rotate onto the disc as seen from Earth.

Basically, you've just seen Martian weather!

[Ags]

I thought it must be cloud. Often the cloud is associated with a surface feature on Mars, like Olympus Mons...

I'm quite pleased, really surprised I could make out Martian clouds with my modest scope :-)