Mars: My Second Official Images of the Season!

[orion25]

Dust storm notwithstanding, I attempted more images of Mars using the same basic setup: Orion 180 mm Mak, Deep Space Video Camera II, Orion 2x Shorty Barlow, with the addition of the Orion 5MP StarShoot Solar System Camera. It was about 2 a.m. EDT and Mars was just reaching a suitable elevation. It was pleasantly cool (in the upper 60's F, approximately 18 degrees C) with just me, the resident hoot owl and the beautiful cricket symphony once again. A thunderstorm had just passed a few hours prior and the sky was clearing nicely. The atmosphere had settled down by this time with only a little turbulence visible at those extreme Mak powers. I did several minutes of high power observing (300x), of a mostly smooth peach orb with hints of bright albedo features near the poles, and some barely visible scattered dark features through the dust (the Orion Mars Filter helped slightly with the darker features). This was a more detailed apparition than last week's, and the cameras drew out more detail than I could see visually. There's hope! I took video with and without the barlow and used both cameras alternately to compare the results. Fortunately, there were no computer crashes this time; everything went smoothly. I also included my first official Mars image of the season from June 10 to show how much the dust storm has affected the view over time and how much larger the planet had grown in just a few weeks. 

Here is the non-barlowed image with the DSVC II:
  

 

Here is the barlowed image:
 

 

Here is the barlowed image using the 5MP StarShoot camera (more detail and a little less pinkish):
 

Now, here is the barlowed image from June 10 using the DVSC II (much smaller and more detailed):

I plan on doing some imaging each weekend right up to perigee to compare size and detail. Things should be interesting in the coming weeks! ?

 

Clear skies!

Reggie

[Sunshine]

Polar caps so nicely defined, great images!

[MarsG76]

Very good detail considering the dust storm... 

[orion25]

1 hour ago, Sunshine said:

Polar caps so nicely defined, great images!

Thanks, Sunshine! I was pleasantly surprised due to the dust storm. I hope it's on the wane  

[orion25]

1 hour ago, MarsG76 said:

Very good detail considering the dust storm... 

Thanks, Mars! I really wasn't expecting too much, but I could visually see more detail this week than last. So, I hope the storm is beginning to die down  

[Grotemobile]

U have got some great shots there. ?Well done.

[Archonom]

Great results considering the current altitude and the dust storm on Mars. I wish I managed to produce such good images, but last night it was just not possible to see anything on Mars:

[orion25]

11 hours ago, Archonom said:

Great results considering the current altitude and the dust storm on Mars. I wish I managed to produce such good images, but last night it was just not possible to see anything on Mars:

Thanks, Archonom. I see a little detail in your image near the limb. I'm hoping it will only get better, soon

[Scooot]

Nice images Reggie, I good reminder of the hooting owl & cricket symphony. It must have been a lovely atmospheric experience, particularly after the rain had cleared the air.

[MarsG76]

On 30/06/2018 at 13:02, orion25 said:

Thanks, Mars! I really wasn't expecting too much, but I could visually see more detail this week than last. So, I hope the storm is beginning to die down  

Me too...

[MarsG76]

On 30/06/2018 at 13:02, orion25 said:

Thanks, Mars! I really wasn't expecting too much, but I could visually see more detail this week than last. So, I hope the storm is beginning to die down  

Looking at my mars video from a few nights ago, it looks like the dust storm is persisting... still 17 nights till opposition and 21 nights until closest approach, so there's still hope for clarity.

[orion25]

3 hours ago, MarsG76 said:

Looking at my mars video from a few nights ago, it looks like the dust storm is persisting... still 17 nights till opposition and 21 nights until closest approach, so there's still hope for clarity.

Fingers, toes and eyes crossed! 

[MarsG76]

45 minutes ago, orion25 said:

Fingers, toes and eyes crossed! 

A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y

[tooth_dr]

Stunning set of Mars images Reggie!

[orion25]

4 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

Stunning set of Mars images Reggie!

Thanks, tooth_dr! I'm hoping for clear skies (on Mars AND on Earth, lol).

[MarsG76]

11 hours ago, orion25 said:

Thanks, tooth_dr! I'm hoping for clear skies (on Mars AND on Earth, lol).

Yeah, if one or the other is hazed out than its not much help either way... although inarguably one covering is worse than the other...

[Pete Presland]

Nicely done Reggie, some detail visible despite the dust storm.

[orion25]

1 hour ago, Pete Presland said:

Nicely done Reggie, some detail visible despite the dust storm.

Thanks, Pete. I just came in from another Mars observing and imaging session and I could see a little more detail than on 6 July. The images reveal even more! I will post, soon! Stay tuned, lol