Mars Dust Storm Could Take Two Months to Subside

[orion25]

Astrophotgrapher Damian Peach forecasts that,"It will take at least a couple of months from now for Mars to start to return to a normal appearance." ?

Here's the space.com article:

https://www.space.com/41078-mars-dust-storm-2018-damian-peach-images.html

 

[Knighty2112]

Not good news Reggie! Noooooooooooo! ??? 

[des anderson]

That`s a kick in the teeth, a dust storm for a couple of months and a lowwww opposition,what else could go wrong!!!! Des

[Demonperformer]

As long as it clears by October 2020 ...

[Jeff-Colorado]

More on the global dust storm:

https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/is-the-mars-opposition-already-over/

It figures. I've never had a great view of Mars (usually crappy seeing or cloudy weather). Looks like Mars 2018 will be disappointing.

[Ruud]

Oh well.  A two month dust bowl.

But it looks really nice in binoculars. I don't think it's ever seen it as colourful as now.

 

[Gina]

Same here - very red.

[Stub Mandrel]

Some detail is slowly appearing:

29 June:

10 July:

 

[Rob]

Just keep everything crossed it improves for July 27th!.. even a 40/50% improve would make for nice visuals..ish!

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Rob said:

Just keep everything crossed it improves for July 27th!.. even a 40/50% improve would make for nice visuals..ish!

Yep, it's really frustrating to have my setup pretty much dialled and then not to be able to pick out any real detail.

[Red Dwarfer]

2 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Some detail is slowly appearing:

29 June:

10 July:

 

That second image with the dark patch is close to what I seen last night / this morning in an ED80 at x50 ?

[Rob]

RE QUOTE:

That second image with the dark patch is close to what I seen last night / this morning in an ED80 at x50 ?

Wow really!. that image scale looks pretty good for an 80mm. And there I was worried about turning the ED70 on Mars and pushing a visual upto 150x

[Stub Mandrel]

I'm guessing it was that level of (non) detail not the size!

[Red Dwarfer]

6 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I'm guessing it was that level of (non) detail not the size!

Yes and yes - just past the meridian this morning there was a pronounced dark central area at x50 - at x100 it started to have that watery and blurry swimming pool effect . 

[Red Dwarfer]

6 hours ago, Rob said:

RE QUOTE:

That second image with the dark patch is close to what I seen last night / this morning in an ED80 at x50 ?

Wow really!. that image scale looks pretty good for an 80mm. And there I was worried about turning the ED70 on Mars and pushing a visual upto 150x

The conditions last night meant that lower powered views were best ?