Mars Observation 30/08

[procky1845]

Had a great view of Mars last night at ~11.30pm. Best I've seen it so far this year I think. Sketch below.

I think the darker regions in the S are Mare Cimmerium, Mare Sirenum and Mare Chromium.

Could also clearly see the South Polar Cap and limb cloud at the following side of the planet.

[procky1845]

Not sure what the dark patch near the top was, it was borderline visible to the extent I wasn't totally sure whether I'd seen it or not.

[mikeDnight]

Its great to see such an excellent observation and sketch Procky. The dark patch in the north may well be Phlegra, as it corresponds nicely with the meridian on view. 

[procky1845]

@mikeDnight Thank you for the encouragement!

I think you might be correct about the feature in the N. I've since looked it up on the map and it does seem to be in the correct location though I've depicted it darker and probably slightly larger then I would have expected it to be from the map. That inaccuracy might just be down to the fact that it was barely perceptible to me at the time. It was a bit of a struggle to see it at all to be honest.

It's always nice to get the confirmation that what I thought I saw, I did in fact see, and its not just my eyes playing tricks on me!

Lee

Edited September 1, 2020 by procky1845

[mikeDnight]

31 minutes ago, procky1845 said:

@mikeDnight Thank you for the encouragement!

I think you might be correct about the feature in the N. I've since looked it up on the map and it does seem to be in the correct location though I've depicted it darker and probably slightly larger then I would have expected it to be from the map. That inaccuracy might just be down to the fact that it was barely perceptible to me at the time. It was a bit of a struggle to see it at all to be honest.

It's always nice to get the confirmation that what I thought I saw, I did in fact see, and its not just my eyes playing tricks on me!

Lee

This is what I love about studying Mars Lee. It is challenging in so many different ways, as its small, brilliant and it's albedo features appear to alter shape and intensity. Mists and dust storms can alter the impression these features give, sometimes leading you to doubt your observations. But if every time you draw what you see then your observation is an honest representation of the view through the eyepiece, and that's all you can do. If you regularly sketch Mars throughout the apparition you'll undoubtebly have a number of sketches that don't appear to make sense at first. However, when you line up all your sketches in unison at the end of the apparition, everything becomes much clearer as you'll see Mars come to life, revolving on its axis.  Nasa maps are of limited value to a visual observer as we rarely see anything but albedo features. Large impact craters such as Hellas and Argyre, may be seen well when highlighted by the mists within them, and Olympus Mons can be seen as either a bright or dark spot depending on whether its capturing cloud. Still, most of the markings are relatable to actual upland or lowland features. I genuinely thought your sketch was really good, which tells me that you have a keen eye for observation and the skill to record the detail you see. I'm looking forward to more of your sketches as the months progress and mars appears at a more sociable time. ☺