LtE in CMO #273

From David M MOORE


® . . . . Subject: Mars - May 30, Ma y 31, 2003

 

All:

 A nice monsoon flow rose the humidity levels in AZ and gave steady seeing for the 30th. Thunderstorms erupted on the evening of the 30th causing some poor seeing for the May 31 image. 

 

 I broke out the Stellacam to produce an IR image as well.  The blue turned out too dark and is not very good.

 

 It appears something is going on in the Hellas basin. Nothing much, but something. It's appearance seems a bit strange to me.

 

 Also noting that the NP region is getting brighter each evening I observe, visually and with imaging.

 

 Also, with the IR image, could there be some high dust form the disturbances over Acidalium showing on the horizon following Syrtis Major. It appears very bright in IR. 

Thanks

(31 May 2003 11:29:56 -0700email)

 

® . . . . . .Subject: Mars - June 04, 2003

 

All:

 

 Seeing improved a bit this morning as Sunrise approached.  The last image at 1230UT was taken moments before Sunrise. some detail can be seen in them.

 

 This morning in addition to normal TouCam images, I imaged with a Red and Blue filter with IRB. This literally gave me a Blue and a Red color image.  I then performed a channel split and kept the R and B images and discarded the others. I then processed the images the same as the color images. The results look very promising. I hope this can be used as a viable option in imaging Mars with the TouCam. While it does triple the amount of images to process, it is very easily handled with K3CCDTools.

 

 Also, with the separate images, it diminishes the chance of artifact duplication. Hopefully this proves to be a viable option in imaging Mars with the TouCam.

 

 I may have been a bit harsh on the processing with Registax. You decide.

 

Thanks

(4 June 2003 email)

® . . . . . .Subject: Mars - June 05, 2003

 

All:

 

 Here is an image set from this morning. Same procedures as yesterday. Mars appears about the same as yesterday. That is all. Thanks

(5 June 2003 email)

 

® . . . . . .Subject: Mars - June 06, 2003

 

All:

 

 Here are more Mars pictures. As mentioned by Parker's June 05 image, the SPC is displaying some clumping.  I enclose an enhanced enlargement.

 

 Morning limb arc brighter this morning than the past several days.

 

 Just heard the news about Tom Cave. Very sad. I am glad I was able to spend a few days with him several years ago at Tom Dobbins'. For those on this list who do not know who Tom Cave was, first and foremost he was a WWll Veteran, as I recall in the European Theatre and lived through some of better battles. He is best remembered by many as the owner of a Telescope company. He also was a great Planetary observer. Last but not least, a teller of a great story, the ones that go on and on and on and on.  He will be missed.

 

Thanks

(6 June 2003 12:17:31 -0700)

 

® . . . . . .Subject: Not Mars or Jupiter

 

All:

 

 Once a year or so I drop everything and help host what we call the "Cosmic Thing". Devoted to school kids, their parents, and teachers. We show them some of the wonders of the heavens, which in many cases, is for the first time. We host it as a military function, so here is a write-up from our local Unit rag. I am pictured with my soon to be modified 16" Orion Dob on the right, and in the left picture, in uniform, donating the scope from Harding Optical to the School.

 

 Yes, there is a kinder, gentler side to me. But don't tell anyone!!

 

Thanks

(9 June 2003 12:38:39 -0700)

 

® . . . . . .Subject: Mars - June 10, 2003

 

All:

 

 Enclosed is my latest image set of the Red Planet Mars.  Seeing good at first till breezes came along and effectively lowered what should have been a great IR image. W clouds prominent at Sunset. Morning limb arc strong.

Thanks

(10 June 2003 13:39:11 -0700)

 

® . . . . . .Subject: Mars - June 11, 2003

 

All:

 

 More Mars images. The Red image draws my attention to a 3-D effect on the late afternoon/evening side of Mars.  It almost looks like shadows or contrasts being created by clouds and the volcanoes?  They are visible in the color image as well, but not to as great an extent. W-clouds again prominent as well as a limb arc.

Thanks

(11 June 2003 09:56:20 -0700)

 

® . . . . . .Subject: Mars - June 14, 2003

 

All

 

 Seeing was potentially good this morning, but the air is so dry with rapid cooling, some breezes developed just as I was setting up. Still I managed to get some useable images.

 

 I have been imaging the past several weeks using filters to isolate the R and B as I felt it gave a more scientifically reliable image set.  I was still using the TouCam original color image as itself.  I experimented this morning and used a synthesized G to make a color image using my original R and B images.  The results look very promising! While I may not abandon entirely imaging in color with the TouCam with Mars, it would appear with this result that imaging in separate colors, splitting out the specific color, and combining as an RGB may give superior results in the individual colors as well as the final color image.  I will continue to experiment.

 I would solicit any input.

Thanks

(14 June 2003 12:23:45 -0700)

 

® . . . . . .Subject: Mars - June 19, 2003

 

All:

 

 Here are more Mars images.  I also included an original TCam image w/ an R as a Luminance to produce another color version. Seeing was poor for these.

                 (20 June 2003 11:46:44 -0700)

 

® . . . . . .Subject: Mars - June 21, 2003

 

All:

 

 These images were taken Saturday morning in good seeing.  Quite a bit of detail visible in these. One of my best Mars images.  Approximately 120 images were combined to make each of these.  The RGB image is with a synthesized Green image by combining the R and B to make an average.

Thanks

(23 June 2003 08:26:21 -0700)

 . .

Dave MOORE (Phoenix, AZ, USA)

davidpaulamoore@msn.com

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