Martian moons - hopefully

[geoff_k]

Got a period of good seeing a couple of nights ago and after consulting Starry Night, I thought I would try and grab Phobos and Deimos.

This was the result of series of 10 second exposures with the ATIK at prime focus on my Europa 250. The image is as the telescope view and I think Phobos is in the top left corner and Deimos just below it. The image was taken at about 21:40 on the 1st February.

[beamish]

Good effort Geoff.

Karlo

[MrEd]

Hi Chaps

I spoke to patrick Moore on this subject,

The moons orbit is so close the the planet that they

will be practically touching the overexsposed disk or even lost in the glare.

The only effective way to capture the moons is cafefull overexposure or use

an occulting bar to remove most of the glare. Look for faint stars very close to the disk.

Sorry to dissapoint but i hope it helps you capture them.

regards

Ed

[Trevor]

I showed my captured Avi to Patrick then stacked the image for him, unfortunately my capture is not Phobos, Patrick said it’s orbit is about 9000 km from the centre of Mars making it very close to the planet as Ed says above.

Trev.

[barkis]

Good try though Geoff. Some details on the two moons

Phobos= Mean radial distance from mars is 9,377.2 Km It's orbital speed is 2.138 Km/s And it is 22.2Km at it's widest point.

Deimos = Mean Radial distance from mars is 23,460 Km. Its diameter is 12.6Km.

The Gif. is from one of the Rovers on mars, showing the two satellites moving rapidly across the martian sky.

Ron.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Phobos_%26_Deimos_full.gif

[geoff_k]

Thanks chaps.

In my defence, M'lud, I used the term 'hopefully'

I would agree they should be much nearer to the planet. Whether I get another chance is of course in the lap of the gods.

On closer inspection there is something on the right of the planet quite close in but it may only be a processing artefact.

I apologise for putting up an image and claiming it might be something it probably isn't.

I am wearing the hair shirt as we speak.

Geoff

[barkis]

You have certainly no need to apologize Geoff. You have not committed an offence. Your intent was hopefully to secure an image of the moons, tiny though they are, they are not beyond photographic magnitude. Had Phobos been the more distant of the two, you may well have had a chance. Your effort was well intentioned, and many in the past have carried out this same search. Clyde Tombaugh's search for Pluto

ended in success, because he persevered.

Ron.

[MrEd]

I agree with Ron

If anything Geoff i was quite excited for the

possibility at a glimpse keep it up.

Regards

Ed

[Tiny]

It might have been on Stargazers but on one site recently they had a shot of the moons moving really tight in on a hugely overexposed disc. Mind you one guy there borrowed a 70 inch and a lot wheel their very large scopes out of garages. But, as has been said the moon was so small it was only that it moved that you could really see it.