Mars beckoned but did not show it's true face

[John]

Had a nice casual evenings observing last night starting with Jupiter and finishing at Mars with Saturn and various double stars visited on the journey.

Thin hazy cloud dulled even the brighter DSO's so I stayed with the high power targets.

Jupiter and Saturn were reasonably stable as were the double stars.

When Mars did eventually show itself it was with some anticipation and hope that I trained my Tak FC100 refractor on it. Alas the massive dust storm still seems to be prevailing and, despite getting a nice, large and crisp martian planetary disk in the eyepiece at 225x it was pretty much a plain uniform rusty orange with no hints of the fascinating dark and pale features that would undoubtedly have been well on display, if it were not for that confounded dust

I do hope the storm subsides while the apparent size of the planet is still large but these events have a habit of dragging on I believe.

Still at least I can say that I've observed "The Historic Martian Dust Storm" as it seems to have been dubbed by the media

Anyone remember 1971 when Mariner 9 arrived at Mars only to find a planet wide dust storn raging ?. Apparently the craft had to wait for 2 months before it could get to work with it's imaging and analysis. That mission did eventially produce one of the iconic solar system images IMHO though - this one of Nix Olympia

 

 

[paulastro]

Nice to read your report John.  I've been observing Mars like  (using a  ES/David Levy 152mm Mak-Newt., 2-3 times a week in the generally clear conditions we have been having.  Often it's much as you say.  But I have occasionally glimpsed rather veiled versions of the polar cap and/or an albedo feature.   When this first happened (when the dust storm was first underway) I thought  I had imagined it, but it sometimes happens several times in a session, and on rare occasions a glimpse when I'm pretty sure I was seeing something.  I've also seen one or two images which do indeed show features, even if rather vague, indicating  the dust clouds aren't  totally blocking all detail.

I've had a set of colour filters for donkeys year and occasionally get them out, often at a Mars opposition, but the result is always the same to me.  They never seem to show me anything I can't see without them.  They make some features on Mars more obvious, but at a cost of and unacceptable colour cast (to my eyes) and a darkening of the image according to which filter it is of course.  I hadn't tried them this year as the result is always the same for me. 

However, I thought I'd read up on which if any of the colour filters themselves might show some details of the dust clouds, at least it would be something to look at.  I found nothing convincing enough to try any of them,  I then looked in a draw of oddments to see what, other than colour filters, I had I might try.  I found a Baader Contrast Booster which I'd forgotten about, never used it - it came with a scope I bought eons ago.  I googled it and found it had rather a good reputation for being useful for planetary images and in particular some people seemed to think it was the bees-knees filter for Mars.

Anyway I tried it a few mornings ago, and was quite taken with how it improved the sky contrast, quite considerably without dimming the image to any great extent at all.  Also, I did glimpse indications of some albedo marking on Mars more frequent and certain than I have ever done without it.  Also tried it on Saturn, a good image with the contrast particularly noticeable on the difference to the sky detail and the background stars/satellites I could see.  The great thing for me is that it does not give a horrible colour wash to the images as colour filters do.  I think it has a slight biased towards yellow, but I only really noticed it on the Moon, and it was nowhere as bad as using a yellow filter.  The following evening the GRS transited the CM on Jupiter and wow, what a difference.  The GRS itself was immediately easily discernible and clearly pink even in poor seeing periods and the belts and other detail were clearly well enhanced.  Easily the best view of Jupiter I've has this apparition.   If I'd know it was as good as this I'd have used it years ago. 

Anyway, sorry I've rambled on John, really just wanted to say to anyone that happens to have a Baader Contrast booster in their arsenal, to try it on Mars and other planets if you haven't already.  To me at least, it was quite a revelation.  If I'd tried one belonging to anyone else I'd have been straight on to FLO to buy one the next day.  If you know someone who has one locally, pop round and try it and see what you think for yourself.  I suspect when the dust clouds clear it will really show its usefulness.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/achromat-semi-apo-filters/baader-contrast-booster-filter.html

[Sunshine]

I’m seeing an orange dot the size of a green pea every day, hope the storm clears by end of month.

[morimarty]

3 hours ago, John said:

When Mars did eventually show itself it was with some anticipation and hope that I trained my Tak FC100 refractor on it. Alas the massive dust storm still seems to be prevailing and, despite getting a nice, large and crisp martian planetary disk in the eyepiece at 225x it was pretty much a plain uniform rusty orange with no hints of the fascinating dark and pale features that would undoubtedly have been well on display, if it were not for that confounded dust 

HI john I was trying to image mars at the same time you were out observing through your Tak FC100. You are quite right the planet was just showing a plain uniform disk with my RGB filters but when I changed to IR pass filter it started to cut through the murk and dust. So I gave the data captured a quick histogram stretch and I was amazed to see some hint of a peak at the center of the martian disk. So just seeing your image of Nix olympia just got me thinking? I do hope it is not a stacking anomaly?

[John]

Nice images Martyn

The tops of the martian volcano's were apparently the 1st things to show as the dust storm of 1971/72 subsisded so maybe you have captured the same effect ?

Either way, much more detail than I could see !

[paulastro]

Very good work Martyn, you're images are  encouraging to all of us who are trying to observe or image Mars at the present time .

[chiltonstar]

About what I've seen visually in the past week Martyn.

Chris

 

[bish]

I didn't even get a crisp disk the other night as the seeing was terrible. I hadn't seen it in a while and was surprised how bright it was when it first appeared above the horizon. Luckily Jupiter and Saturn didn't disappoint in the ep.

[chiltonstar]

Excellent seeing here again last night despite the haze: Saturn was very impressive but Mars was again a disappointment. Sharp outline, but few details mainly the N polar cap and the hint of detail just below it. 

One positive aspect of the dust storm is that no one further south is getting a better view at the moment!

Chris

[Pete Presland]

The dust storm put me off staying up another hour or so last night to view it , after Saturn had dipped behind the trees.

[Pete Presland]

@morimarty you could have a look on Winjupos to confirm what the view should have been when you captured.

[2Karl]

Spare a thought for me - Mars never gets high enough in the sky for me to point my scope at; I suspect a trip to borough hill is in order