LtE in CMO #280

From Robert D BUNGE


® . . . . . . . .Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 23:58:21 -0400

Subject: 20030926 03:30 UT CM=121

 

 

Attached!

 

2003/09/26, 03:30 UT, CM=121 Bowie MD, 6-inch f/15 refractor 270x

http://www.ladyandtramp.com/mars/images/2003-09-26-rdb.jpg

Seeing 5 out of 10. A very quick observation. Cool, nice fall evening, hazy, thin clouds. First post Hurricane Isabel observation. Haven't pulled the 20-inch back out yet. Mostly observed with the w25 (red) filter. No apparent weather, nice detail in Solis Lacus. South Polar Cap was much brighter and more apparent then my last ob on 9/17. Just the start of seeing the phase on the following side. Center of Solis Lacus was the darkest marking and caught the see first. Very apparent. Almost striking how this drawing looks almost like a drawing of Jupiter!

 

Cheers,

 

® . . . . . . . .Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2003 09:34:10 -0400

Subject: 20031002 03:30 UT CM=67

 

Sirs,

 

Drawing attached.  Notes:

 

2003/10/02, 03:30 UT, CM=67 Bowie MD, 17-inch f/7.8 reflector 240x

Seeing 3 out of 10. Very cool (frost warnings are out), crisp, very transparent. Ever since cold fronts started to move through the area, the seeing has been awlful. At least 30 degree deltas between day and night now. Difficult observation, low power only. White light and W25 (red). South Polar Cap small, not oval in shape. A small area of brightening in both white and red light on preceding northern limb. Possible North Polar Hood. Very light surface detail. Disk size has really shrunk.

 

Cheers,

 

® . . . . . . . .Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 07:59:19 -0400

Subject: 20030107 3:15UT CM=19

 

Sirs,

 

Attached.

 

Notes:

 

2003/10/07, 03:15 UT, CM=19 Bowie MD, 17-inch f/7.8 reflector 480x

 

Seeing 4 out of 10, but moments of 6 and 7 out of 10. Pretty unstable air. Warmer, no wind, very calm. Temps in the 60s. Mars was very close to the Moon. Much detail seen in the moments of good seeing. Most note worthy is the brightness of Hellas on the preceding limb. Most of Hellas was bright in both white and red (W25) light, but the southern section of Hellas was also bright in blue (w47). Gotta suspect there might be some dust stirring in the Hellas basin. South Polar Cap is small, with little or no detail. It is now clearly detached from the southern-most limb of the planet. A good amount of North Polar Hood, quite blue in color. Follow limb was very clearly under phase. Mars is down to less then 20 arcseconds.

 

® . . . . . . . .Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 23:03:22 -0400

Subject: 20031008 01:45 UT CM=346

 

Sirs,

 

Attached.

 

2003/10/08, 01:45 UT, CM=346 Bowie MD, 17-inch f/7.8 reflector 480x

Seeing 5 out of 10. Cool, very calm. Pretty good seeing, good moments. Quite transparent, Moon in the sky. Nice late summer evening. Bright area in northern Hellas seen well. Following side of bright area appears to extend outside and slightly south of Hellas. This area was bright in white and red (w25) light. It was not bright in blue (w47). No North Polar Cap. Very fine detail across the disk. 20-inch (TJ) stopped down to 17-inches.

 

Thanks,

Bob BUNGE (Bowie, Maryland, USA)

bbunge@ladyandtramp.com

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