Mars 30th Sep 2020

[markse68]

Got home late and surprised by clear view of the moon and Mars with light hazy cloud. Almost didn’t bother but glad I did as the seeing was pretty good despite cloud and Mars has rotated quite a bit since i last saw it. The dark features were strikingly dark blue against the pink disk and what struck me immediately was a lighter circular patch in/above them which i think is Hellas Planitia. The dark markings had a distinctive flowing line to them. I tried to capture it but i couldn’t really see what i was doing- thinking of making a sketch pad holder with illumination. Tried a few times but didn’t really get it but it sort of has some of the feel of it.

Mark

[dweller25]

Great observation and drawing 👍

[Pixies]

I was seeing  something similar the previous night. On the left (as per our rotated reflector views), appear 2 dark 'lines' Syrtis Major and Minor, which diverge North and South. On the right are 3 dark lines - Sinus Sabaeus, Mare Serpentis and (I think) Mare Erythraeum, which curve upwards. All meet centrally under Hellas. 

I thought at the time there was something familiar and 'animal-like'....

 

[markse68]

Haha yes- I was getting a bit of a phoenix vibe from the curves. I’ve ordered a clip on book light so i can at least see the paper- might help but tbh the biggest problem is drawing from memory- look in the ep, try to see then memorise the detail then transfer it to a dark page and get all the scaling right. you can’t step back and compare sketch with subject like normal sketching. Something that will definitely take some practice but good for that!

I also ordered a 3b pencil but think 4b may be better

Mark

[BRADLEY 1953]

A lovely spontaneous sketch.