CMO Monthly Report
published in CMO #229 (25 March 2000)
Martian Surfaces in the Second Half of February and the First Half of March 2000
from 16 Feb 2000 (302°Ls) to 15 Mar 2000 (318°Ls)
The latter half of February, Mars was well observed in the US, and in early March we had a few opportunities of watching at Fukui. At Okinawa however the weather remained poor (just the Sun shined only 32.6 hours in all February), and it didn't improve also in March, and so unfortunately ISHADOH, on the alert, failed to observe this period. MURAKAMI also tried several times to watch but in vain because of the bad seeing condition.
MELILLO, Frank J (FMl) Holtsville, NY, USA
1 Set of CCD Images (21 February 2000) 20cm SC Starlight Xpress MX-5
MINAMI, Masatsugu (Mn) Fukui, Japan
8 Drawings (1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 12, 13, 14 March 2000) 340, 400x 20cm refractor*
MORITA, Yukio (Mo) Hatsuka-ichi, Hiroshima Japan
2 CCD Images (20, 27 February 2000) f/50 25cm spec equipped with an ST-5C
NAKAJIMA, Takashi (Nj) Fukui, Japan
6 Drawings (1, 3, 5, 13 March 2000) 340, 400x 20cm refractor*
PARKER, Donald C (DPk) Miami, FL, USA
7 Sets of CCD Images (30/31 January; 11/12, 12/13, 19/20, 27/28,
28/29 February; 29 February/1 March 2000)
f/55 41cm spec equipped with a Lynxx PC
* Fukui City Observatory
Don PARKER's OBSERVATIONS:
We received also the observations of Don PARKER (DPk) made in the preceding period: DPk observes at present at midnight GMT.
On 30/31 Jan (293°Ls) at LCM=313°W, DPk produced good images where Syrtis Mj and the eastern part of S Sabæus are definite including M Serpentis. Hellas is slightly light in R but shadowy in G.
The images on 11/12 Feb (300°Ls) at LCM=198°W also show the dark band of M Sirenum to M Cimmerium. Beyond the light continent, M Chronium clearly appears.
The images on 12/13 Feb (301°Ls) at LCM=185°W show a similar aspect. Image in B is rather light as a whole.
There has been no global dust seen, conforming to the conclusion in the preceding report.
OBSERVATIONS during the present period :
DPk obtained images on 19/20 Feb (305°Ls) at LCM=116°W where the spr is largely light and Solis L and M Sirenum are dark, not obscured. Amazonis is reddish. Filters for G and B are different from the ones formerly used, though RG610 is still used for R.
MORITA (Mo) shot on 20 Feb (305°Ls) at LCM=256°W, where Syrtis Mj may be seen, while the image itself is unstable.
MELILLO (FMl) obtained Wr#25 images on 21 Feb (305°Ls) at LCM=083°W where M Sirenum is visible though the image is small.
Mo also took a picture on 27 Feb (325°Ls) at LCM=187°W.
DPk's image on 28/29 Feb (310°Ls) at LCM=025°W show a shadowy southern region including Margaritifer S. S Sabæus is separated.
The next one on 29 Feb/1 Mar (311°Ls) at LCM=016°W also shows the shadowy southern hemisphere and S Sabæus is isolated. It is apparent there is no global obscuration from these angles.
At Fukui, the observation time was from 8:50 GMT on 1 Mar (311°Ls) and the surfaces of LCM=146°W and LCM=151°W faced to Mn and Nj respectively: The spc was like a white spot, and M Sirenum was dark. The p limb of the northern hemisphere was very light.
On 2 Mar (311°Ls) Mn watched at LCM=136°W: the core of the spc was visible, and M Sirenum was well shadowy. The northern end was light.
On 3 Mar (312°Ls) we watched at LCM=131°W (Mn) and LCM=136°W (Nj): Tharsis was light, but Solis L was not yet.
On 5 Mar (313°Ls) we observed at LCM=106°W (Mn) and at LCM=111°W (Nj): The area from Solis L to M Sirenum was shadowy, and there was no obscuration. The spr is light.
On 10 Mar (316°Ls) at LCM=062°W, Mn observed that the area from Auroræ S to M Erythræum was largely dark without lighter areas except at the spr. Niliacus L? was a bit seen in the north.
On 12 Mar (317°Ls) at LCM=042°W; the spc appeared white while the dark areas on the southern hemisphere were present. On 13 Mar(317°Ls), S Sabæus was watched at LCM=029°W (by Mn) and at LCM=034°W (by Nj) and Noachis at the p limb looked light. The dark markings were also apparent upto Auroræ S.
On 14 Mar (318°Ls) at LCM=022°W, Mn saw that the p limb at Noachis was lighter than the day before. The EN limb of the northern hemisphere was also light.
The temperature inside the dome at Fukui was 3°C to 6°C during the period.
Yasunobu HIGA (Hg) sent us a copy of Video-tape in which a lot of good Mars images taken by him in 1999 are sequentially edited.
The tape is impressively accompanied by background music: The slow tempo of Okinawa songs matches well with the views of the lively red planet.
(Yasunobu HIGA: FAX: 81-98-862-3975)