From Samuel R WHITBY
@. . . . . . . . Thank you very much for your news
of the dust cloud on Mars.
My work
schedule will change, starting this coming Sunday, and I hope to have more time
to observe. Best wishes,
(
@ . . . . . . . .Dear Mars observers,
Tonight,
observing under beautifully clear and cool sky, with seeing that is so far only
fair, I am waiting for the trusty Newtonian to cool down. If tube currents
diminish, maybe a drawing or two will become worth the trouble.
Sinus
Meridiani is rotating off the disk. There is a prominent north polar hood.
There is a bright south polar cap. The dark albedo markings look soft and
subdued.
Re-reading
the seventh CMO report and Richard McKim's message, I thought that the
difference between "globe wholly covered by the mildly bright yellow
cloud" and "a general loss of contrast" to be rather small, a
matter mainly of semantics.
Thank
you for continuing to share your observations and messages with me. Not able to
observe as much as I would have liked, I have benefited from your experience
nonetheless, and tomorrow there may be more time to observe.
(
@. . . . . . . .I was able to observe Mars with my
reflector this evening for about half an hour. The seeing was good. At 2 UT the
planet looked very strange. Sinus Sabaeus and Sinus Meridiani were
unrecognizable. What seems to have been the northern part of Syrtis Major was
visible, detached from other dark albedo markings. The preceding limb of Mars
was very bright. I made a sketch which I will send to you later. I am not a
very experienced observer of Martian dust storms, but it looks like the
"easy" side of Mars is largely obscured by dust.
Randy
wrote to me recently that he has video taped Mars at the RAS Observatory. I am
glad to read that John Barnett has sent you some good observations.
Sincerely,
(
@. . . . . . . .I was able to observe Mars again
tonight, July 11, at 2 UT. Mars seems heavily obscured by dust, with only a
vague Syrtis Major and a dim hint of Sinus Sabaeus visible. The seeing was not
as good as last night, but it was still fair. I think the extent and degree of
obscuration were greater tonight than last night. I made a sketch and will mail
it to you later.
Sincerely,
(
@. . . . . . . . With the contrast of the Martian
albedo markings being very low, it is difficult to say whether the local seeing
has improved or whether the Martian air is clearing, but I tend to believe the
latter is the case. Tonight I could easily see Syrtis Major, which seemed
detached from the maria south of it and preceding it, and I could also see,
with more difficulty, what I take to be Mare Tyrrhenum. A dark marking that I
think was Serpentis was noted. I suspected Hesperia, without certainty. A North
Polar Hood was noted, not as extensive as what was seen last night.
Sincerely,
(
Sam