LtE in CMO #246,247,248,249

From  Nélson FALSARELLA


@. . . . . . I have made my CCD Mars images using a video camera (Black and White Astrovid 400), but I never was attentive to see some brightening on surface of Mars. I will see again my images recorded of the Edom Promontorium. Who Knows I see some brightening too.

  But I think that the atmospheric disturbance across the planetary images creates deformations and brightening variations over the images.

  We need to valorize only the brilliance more persistent or stronger. Faint brightening and short duration event I can’t to valorize.

  I also saw brightness over Mars on the past. In October 1988, I remember have seen the Tharsis region across the eyepiece of my 200mm telescope. Suddenly the Tharsis region got a additional shine that prolongs for some minutes. The shine appeared phosphorescent, very beautiful. It happened only on Tharsis. I never saw this phenomenon again.

  Other phenomenon of shine, happened in the last Mars approximation, in 1999. By several days, I saw across the eyepiece a brightening spot, like a cloud, over Cydonia region, to the south of the bright NPC. Sometimes the spot was so bright that it appeared a second polar cap. This brightening didn’t happen all the time and neither all the days. I got this image in CCD Image. See the next E-mail with a image annexed. I can’t to explain this phenomenon. I think in a reflection of NPC over the atmosphere of Earth or perhaps Mars.

 Thank you and Clear Skies

(10 June 2001 email)

 

@. . . . . . .How are you? Last Saturday (June 9), I sent to you, by normal mail, my new drawings about Mars. There you will see photometry and meteorology studies made by myself at the eyepiece of my old Newtonian D=200mm f6.5. I am using a 4mm ortho eyepiece, and a 325X magnification.

 I am sending to Mr. Murakami, my images CCD of Mars made using my telescope and a video camera ASTROVID 400. Can you use my images on your Gallery page of CMO?

 I have a MEADE LX200, 16", but your planetary image is poor and without contrast. The focalization is very difficult. Perhaps your main mirror is very heavy. I prefer to use my old newtonian D=200mm for Mars. Your image, under a good seeing is very good.

Thank you about the news about Mars and the same about the Communications in Mars Observations. They are very useful for me.

On June 4, I was seeing Syrtis Major in the CM at 2h00 UT and I think to have seen a "Blue Clearing" phenomenon. The albedo features was very strong across the deep blue filter.

 Clear Skies

(10 June 2001 email)

  @ . . . . . .I think that the orographic cloud over Elysium appears in the morning.

See my images annexed here.

  Thank you

 (16 June 2001 email)

 

@ . . . . . . .In the last message I sent you the Mars Images of 11 June and 12 June. The image of day 11, I already sent you, some days ago. The new image is the 12 June.

Here I am sending the new image of 14 June 2001.

Thank you

(16 June 2001 email)

 

@. . . . . . I am sending a new Mars image, made on June 16. We, in south of Brazil,  had a week of rainy days, cold and snow. Now the weather is better. My Mars observations began again.

Thank you 

(23 June 2001 email)

 

@. . . . . . .I have seen in my Mars images and in Mars Global Surveyor images*, a dark and narrow line throughing the edge of the South Polar Cap (SPC). Your photometry varies between 7.0 and 6.0 (0 for the Polar Cap and 10 for the dark sky), bypass all the South Polar Cap and it is interrupted only in Argyre. The dark line is seen over the terrain apparently free of ice. This south region doesn't have a very dark feature like the Olympia Planitia, seen around the north pole. I was thinking in Lowell's Band, the dark collar that frames the polar cap. Although the Lowell's band is better seen around the North Polar Cap (perhaps owed to the dark Olympia Planitia), here it is emerging very well in SPC.

I am sending in the next E-mail, the Mars image made by myself by comparison with the Mars Global Surveyor image.

 

*Mars Global Surveyor Mars Images:

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgsmsss/camera/images/opposition_6_2001/index.html

Thank you Clear Skies

 (24 June 2001 email)

 

@. . . . . . . (To Mk) How is the dust storm? Here, in Brazil, I can't to see the storm. I am sending a new set of Mars Image on 25 June 2001. 

(29 June 2001 email)

 

@ . . . . . . . . I am seeing the dust storm. Now, 21h15m UT, MC~340degrees, I am seeing the dust storm near the east limb. I can't see the Syrtis Major. "It disappeared". I see only its north spike, but it is very faint. The dust storm is brighter over Hellas. I made good CCD images (on 1 July).

 (1 July 2001 email)

 

@. . . . . . . . . . I am sending here a Mars image made by myself, on June 30 (see right). See the disappearance of Syrtis Major. See the faded north portion. Hellas shines more than early June.

More images made on June 30, I will send to you in the next days.  Did you see other images made in the same time from Europe or others sites?

(2 July 2001 email)

 

@ . . . . . . . .I am in accordance with you. Mars is yellowish and the albedo features is faded.  I was seeing now the Sinus Sabaeus quadrant and all the albedo features are clearer.

For example: See the comparison between the photometry made in early June and today (0 for the Polar Cap and 10 for dark sky):

 

Sinus Sabaeus: 7.0 and 5.5

North portion of Syrtis Major: 8.5 and 5.5

Mare Serpentis: 6.0 and 4.5

Margaritifer Sinus: 4.5 and 4.6 (conserved)

Hellas:  2.6 and 1.2 (cleared)

Today Syrtis Major back in its old feature.

 (3 July 2001 email)

 

@ . . . . . . . . . I saw Mars on July 3, ~21h30m UT, Sinus Sabaeus Quadrant. Its albedo features faded away more. Now, its color is very yellowish.

Syrtis Major was faint. The north portion of Syrtis Major was darker than its south portion. I have seen that, since May, the north portion of Syrtis Major is darker, when it is seen at right (east) of Central Meridian (CM) and less dark when it seen at left (west) of CM. Hellas is very bright and is better across red filter: dust.

 The North Polar Hood (only in blue filter and integral light) was very intense, more than yesterday. North Polar Cap was bright and small.

   I made CCD images. ( I don't know why, but my CCD camera doesn't get the North Polar Hood images, but get the South Polar Cap).

Sincerely            

 (4 July 2001 email)

 

@. . . . . . . On July 10, I saw the Ghost Planet or better, the Dust Planet. Using my CCD video camera I could see all the albedo features. But they were very faint. The South Polar Cap was very difficult to see. Around NPC, had a faint shine, seen across the blue and green filters.  On the east limb had a haze, seen across the blue and Green filter too. North Polar Hood was back again and bright too (seen only with blue filter). A dark band was seen in your perimeter: perhaps was Utopia, Lemuria and Panchaia. Hellas lost part of your shine.

Today, July 11, the sky is cloudy.

(11 July 2001 email)

 

@. . . . . . .Yesterday (July 12) I saw Mars again:

North Polar Hood was present and bright, but it was seen across green filter too, but in blue was better. South Polar Cap was very difficult to see. The had a shine seen in blue and green. A Limb Haze was present in the east limb, seen in blue and green. The Albedo Features was almost deleted. I saw the east of Cimmerium and Hyblaeus. A dark ring around North Polar Hood was visible. Mr. Alexandre Amorim, from Florianopolis-SC, Brazil didn't see Syrtis Major.

 I saw in your message that Valhalla was seen again. I remember of Valhalla, a dark feature seen near Sirenum, for the first time on the opposition of 1988. Is it the same?

Thank you by your messages. I have sent them to Reanet (Rede de Astronomia Observacional - REA), our network in Brazil and South America.

I hope that my observations be useful for you and OAA.

(13 July 2001 email)

 

@. . . . . . How is the dust? Your Gallery of the Dust Storm is very beautiful and didactic. Congratulations!

I am sending here, a Mars image made by my friend, from Campinas-SP, for the Gallery too.

Yesterday, day 13, was difficult to see Syrtis Major, but Cimmerium and Hyblaeus was more easy.

(14 July 2001 email)

 

@ . . . . . . . On July 25, 21h50m UT,  CM=123W, Central Meridian was passing near Arsia Mons in Tharsis.

 Joined to the southeast limb and covering Aurorae Sinus, Solis Lacus, Erythraeum mare, was a bright dust cloud. Beside this cloud, at west, a great and evident dark spot interbreeded the Central Meridian. This dark spot covered Claritas, Daedalia and part of Memnonia and Tharsis. Strange dark bands or spots are always visible in dust storm. Here, perhaps, be a shadow from the bright cloud seen adjacent.

Olympus Mons, or Nix Olympica, was seen as a very evident dark spot. I think that Ascraeus Mons was visible too, as a dark spot.

North Polar Hood (NPH) was very bright and wide. A dark contour followed the edge of the NPH.

Mars seems another planet.

(26 July 2001 email)


  Nelson FALSARELLA  (Brazil)

nfalsarella@riopreto.com.br


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