Mars - 17th January 2010

[dweller25]

Here's Mars drawn at 03:15UT with a Takahashi FS-128 at x238.

Seeing was poor - IV.

CM = 200'

Sadly it was the 'quiet side' but the large dark area to the bottom left of the drawing is strange. It does not match anything on the Martian maps but I saw it repeatedly !!!

The polar cap looks much smaller than 6 weeks ago when I first started observing Mars.

[JAO]

Very nice and accurate in my view rendition of the detail on Mars at present. Seeing has been poor for me for some weeks and there's been cloud for the last 5 days! Thanks for sharing as its the only way I can see anything at the moment

Regards

Adrian

[DarkerSky]

Good sketch. Always difficult to pin down detail when the seeing is poor. You've done a good job there.

[Towa]

I was observing at around the same time and my drawing is almost a dead ringer. I think the dark feature to the south is a combination

Sirenum, Cimmerium with Maadium Valluis and Al Qahira Vallis in the middle. I also detected some limb haze beneath this feature.

Scope used was a 102mm APO at 209x.

[Talitha]

Well done, especially considering the poor seeing! I haven't been able to observe Mars yet and really appreciate these sketches. Thanks for sharing your eyepiece.

[Towa]

Whoops!!! sorry dweller25 I mis-read your post, just one problem with my dyslexia.

The feature in question is the area around Elysium/Hephaestis. On my drawing I have it extending

further down and at a diagonal angle. I also managed to pick-up Trivium Charontis and Cerberus which were

darker and easier to spot.

Regarding the smaller polar cap, these recent images may be of interest.

A.L.P.O. Mars Section

On one of my recent observations I had the polar darker than normal but I put it down to the cap

being smaller, I wonder if it was dark dusky markings causing it?

[dweller25]

Thanks all for the kind comments.

Towa - great info - where are your drawings ??

[Towa]

Towa - great info - where are your drawings ??

Hi dweller25

At the moment I'm not on an image hosting site, but all my

drawings are submitted to one of the national astronomy society.

[dweller25]

Hi Towa,

What I meant to say was that it would be great to see your drawings here on SGL.

I just scan my drawings and upload them to SGL from my hard drive - don't use an image hosting site at all.

However we need some clear skies first !!!

Regards,

D25

[Towa]

I just scan my drawings and upload them to SGL from my hard drive - don't use an image hosting site at all.

Regards,

D25

Hi D25

Do you have a link showing how to do this, I've done this on the Spaceweather.com

website before, but I was totally un-aware that you could do this on SGL.

I always thought that you had to put your images on a site like Flicker or Photobucket

and then up-load from there or provide a link.

Up-loading direct from my hard drive would be so much better.

[dweller25]

Hello Towa,

It's the same procedure if you are starting a new post or replying in a thread.

If replying in a thread use the GO ADVANCED button at the bottom of the screen.

Underneath your typed message there are additional options.

The MANAGE ATTACHMENTS button allows you to upload images from you hard drive.

You just select the file on your hard drive and press UPLOAD.

HTH

D25

[geoff_k]

Hi Towa

Nice to see your sketch as they don't appear on forums that often.

I think you have the advantage over us imagers if not just all the techonology we need but you can also take immediate advantage of those all too brief moments of good seeing.

More please.

Geoff

[Towa]

Guys, I'm trying this as a tests, don't know what size to make the file size so made it a bit on the small size to start with.

Lets see what happens, so here goes. This is frm the 7th January 02:10UT, with my vintage 80mm f/15 refractor at 225x.

Several good features were nicely seen.

[russ]

Great drawings guys! I must really give this a try myself.

[dweller25]

Towa - it worked :-)

That is a superb drawing.

[Towa]

Thank you guys.

Many thank D25, had you not mentioned it, I ould still have been un-aware of this feature.

[Talitha]

Wonderful sketch Towa, and the size you posted looks great.