2001 Mars Observation Reports -- #17--
OAA MARS
SECTION
CMO
Mars Observations
in the Second Half of October and the First Half of
November 2001
from 16 October (253°Ls) to 15 November 2001 (273°Ls)
based on the article published in CMO #253 (25 November 2001)
Masatsugu
MINAMI, Director of the OAA Mars Section
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HE planet Mars is going away, decreasing its angular
diameter, while the meridional altitude of Mars is
increasing seen from our hemisphere, and hence we are now able to watch it for
a longer time than in 
August:
This time we review the observations made during the one-month period from
16 October (253°Ls) to 15 November 2001 (273°Ls).
The apparent angular diameter went down from 9.7" to 8.1", while the
apparent declination went up from - 24° 10' to - 18° 30': The planet is now
nearly as high up in the evening sky as we experienced in
Temperature inside the dome at
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HE
observations submitted to us are as follows: Since the planet can be most favourably observable at twilight, this is convenient to
some observers, but very inconvenient to others if they work in a remote place.
Unfortunately MORITA's equator is still out of order.
AKUTSU, Tomio (Ak)
10 Sets of CCD Images (20, 27
October; 11 November 2001)
f/70 32cm speculum
with a Teleris 2
BIVER, Nicolas (NBv)
7 Colour Drawings (16, 21# , 24 October; 3# November
2001)
300x 20cm speculum / 510, 330x 26cm speculum#
DOMBROWSKI, Philip L (PDb)
3 CCD Red Images (18, 30
October; 11 November 2001)
f/30 30cm SCT with an Astrovid
ISHADOH, Hiroshi (Id)
21 Drawings (18, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27
October; 2, 3, 5, 10, 12 November 2001)
400,
340x 31cm speculum
KUMAMORI, Teruaki (Km)
13 CCD Colour Images (20, 24, 25,
27, 31 October; 7, 10 November 2001)
60cm Cassegrain $ with a
Sony TRV-900
MELILLO, Frank J (FMl)
7 CCD Images (19, 28, 30 October;
6, 10 November 2001)
20cm SCT with a Starlight Xpress
MX5
MINAMI, Masatsugu (Mn)
72 Drawings (18 ~ 20, 26, 27, 29 ~
31 October; 2, 4, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15 November 2001)
480, 400x 20cm refractor*
MOORE, David M (DMr)
2 Sets of CCD Images (3, 11 November
2001)
f/35 36cm Cassegrain with an Astrovid
MURAKAMI, Masami (Mk)
15 Drawings (19, 20, 23, 31
October; 4, 11, 12 November 2001)
320x 20cm speculum
NAKAJIMA, Takashi (Nj)
15 Drawings (18, 23, 29 October; 4,
10, 11 November 2001) 480, 400x 20cm refractor*
NARITA, Hiroshi
(Nr)
21 Drawings (19, 20, 24 ~ 27, 31
October; 1, 4, 11, 14 November 2001)
400x 20cm refractor
PARKER, Donald C (DPk)
10 Sets of CCD Images (24 October;
8, 11/12 November 2001)
f/44 41cm Newtonian equipped with a Lynxx
PC
TEICHERT, Gérard (GTc)
5 Drawings (30 October; 1, 3, 10,
11 November 2001) 330, 310×28cm SCT
TSUNEMACHI, Hitomi (Ts)
43 Drawings (19, 20, 24, 26, 27, 31
October; 4, 7, 11, 12, 14 November 2001)
360x
12.5cm Fluorite refractor
VALIMBERTI, Maurice (MVl)
4 Sets of CCD Images (27
September; 3, 14 November 2001)
f/92 15cm refractor with a TC245 based camera
$
*
General :
During the period, the south polar cap (spc) was
visible distinct. Our estimation of the spc's recession rate this season from June is under way
and will be dealt with soon in a coming CMO Note. ISHADOH (Id) depicted the spc clearly often inside
the disk. The viability of the present yellow cloud was unprecedented while the
air-laden part looks to have almost dissipated, and the activity of the water vapour has been reset.
18 October (255°Ls) ~ 23 October (258°Ls) :
This period the area from M Sirenum to M
Cimmerium faced to us in
His observation on 19 October (day 118 since the onset of the dust
storm, 255°Ls) at LCM=190°W suspected a pinkish aspect of the northern deserts
and suggested that the airborne dust nearly subsided from this area (though
this does not imply at all the yellow cloud totally disappeared: The disk image
is still in a tint of bright yellow suggesting that the thin dust floats in the
air). At LCM=199°W, the morning Ausonia also looked misted. The central
latitude=11°S, The apparent diameter=9.6", The
phase angle=46° on the day.
On 20 October (256°Ls) at LCM=180°W, MURAKAMI (Mk) recorded that in addition to the morning mist or fog the
light continent belt of Electris and Eridania looked
rather whitish. KUMAMORI (Km)'s images on the day
at LCM=180°W and 192°W show Electris and
Eridania to make a dull light belt. TSUNEMACHI (Ts) on
20 October noted at LCM=187°W that the northern deserts show a reddish yellow
tinge. The area around of the spc was dusky and expanded
to M Chronium. AKUTSU (Ak) on the day took IR, RGB and Int
images at LCM=188°W.
On 22 October (257°Ls) at LCM=212°W, ISHADOH (Id) caught the whole area of M Cimmerium. On 23 October
(258°Ls), NAKAJIMA (Nj) suspected a shadowy spot on the afternoon northern
area at LCM=170°W, 180°W. Possibly a shadow of the Olympus
Mons Summit.
24 October (258°Ls) :
Don PARKER (DPk)'s images on the day (The central latitude=13°S, The
apparent diameter=9.2", The phase angle=46°) at LCM=023°W, 028°W, 036°W and 040°W are excellent and show lots of
things. A few of these are: First they show
It was originally defined at (the longitude=030°W, the latitude=70°S) while DPk's images show it around at the longitude=040°W. As
reported in #252, this white area was also shown on the image by Km made on 26 September (241°Ls) at LCM=058°W. If it is the condensation of the water driven from the
outskirts of the maximal spc, it may imply that the
activity of water was recovered around from 240°Ls (Day 95) in accordance of a
retreat of the dust storm. As noted below, Mons Argenteus was observed
frequently in November by VALIMBERTI (MVl) and
the Japanese observers. The present writer (Mn) in
1986 observed it on 14 September 1986 (244°Ls) at LCM=055°W, 21 September 1986
(248°Ls) at LCM=023°W and so on, and hence it is considered its season is
usual. DPk' Observing Note shows (fourthly) that the R image on
24 October at LCM=023°W depicts a trace of Novus Mons faintly, detached from
the bright spc. The season was 258°Ls was reasonable. See CMO #111.
On 24 October 2001, in
25 October (259°Ls) ~ 31 October (263°Ls) :
Km took images at LCM=130°W, 141°W on 25 October (259°Ls) showing the darkening of
the Dædalia-Claritas area and the latter image show a
light slit between it and the foregoing dark patch.
On 26 October (260°Ls), Ts observed at LCM=129°W,
139°W, 148°W, 158°W, and checked the dark area at Dædalia-Claritas
at LCM=129°W ~ 139°W and also suspected the shadowy area near Arsia Mons. Id on the day observed at LCM=151°W & 161°W and tried to
find Olympus Mons, bright or dark, but was not sure. According to the
SMITH-SMITH pattern (CMO #134), there should be no
activity of the orographic cloud at these season on
the summit of Olympus Mons. In 1988, the Martian surface around at 270°Ls
showed a round and bright Olympus
On the day, Mn observed at LCM=109°W,
119°W and so on and checked the extraordinary dark patch north-west on the
Solis L area. On Km's images at LCM=111°W & 120°W as well as on AKUTSU (Ak)'s images at LCM=134°W
on the day, the patch is separated from the Dædalia
dark marking. Mn's observations on the day showed that the following Memnonia was lighter than the preceding Thaumasia,
while on 29 October (262°Ls) at LCM=119°W, and on 30 October (262°Ls) at LCM=099°W
& 109°W, he contrarily observed that the NS light belt at Thaumasia and Ophir following the
dark Auroræ S appeared much lighter.
31 October (263°Ls), the seeing condition was favourable
at Fukui, and Mn observed at LCM=060°W, 070°W, 080°W, 090°W, 099°W,
109°W: At LCM=070°W Mons Argenteus was clearly checked, and the spc was clear definite at 600x. The preceding area of the spc was clearly bounded, while the following morning area was slightly
blurred. The area of Auroræ S was quite dark, and the
following Thaumasia and Ophir
belt was well light. At LCM=080°W, Ophir-Candor
looked rather reddish. The north polar hood (nph) was
weak on the day. The dark patch on the Solis L area seemed to have become
larger. It was quite inside at LCM=099°W. The morning terminator side was misty
or covered by a fog.
Km also enjoyed a better seeing on the day and his
images at LCM=074°W & 083°W show well the white Argenteus Mons: Ophir is also shown up as a bright specific area. The dark
patch near the Solis L area is off north-westwards from the original Solis L.
The images this time well show the perimeter shape of the spc. Km's image at LCM=074°W
is a composite stacked of 199 Video images.
Frank MELILLO (FMl) announced a dust
disturbance near Hellas and Noachis that was said
brighter than the spc based upon his R
images on 28 October (261°Ls) at LCM=309°W. This was not confirmative by the
later observations at
2 November (263°Ls) ~ 6 November (266°Ls) :
Mn detected Mons Argenteus in a triangular form on 2
November (263°Ls) at LCM=056°W where the following area of Auroræ
S was light. Id also observed the area around Ophir
to be light at LCM=082°W:
On 3 November (265°Ls), VALIMBERTI (MVl)
from
4 November (265°Ls), Nj and Mn observed from
LCM=019°W to 070°W, and saw Mons Argenteus from LCM=035°W to 058°W. Ts detected also it at LCM=031°W & 041°W on the day. Id seemed to check it on 5 November (266°Ls) at LCM=048°W. Id judged that the darkness of main markings had picked up.
He saw the round and clear spc inside the disk.
MOORE (DMr) near the Diamondbacks home took images on 3
November (265°Ls) at LCM=295°W where the
7 November (267°Ls) ~ 10 November (169°Ls) :
Mn observed 7 November (267°Ls) from LCM=349°W to
037°W: First Hellas was light on the afternoon side, while there was no
particular dust disturbance in Noachis. The spc was clearly evident and it was suspected a faint Novus
Mons. The area of the eastern base of S Sabæus and M Serpentis looked fat and dark, and S Meridiani
was seen rather skinny. The central latitude=17°S. The dark band on Noachis obliquely from M Serpentis
ran to M Erythræum, and the south of the band looked
slightly light. At LCM=017°W, the following morning area was misted or foggy.
Km made images near at LCM=002°W where
On 8 November (269°Ls), DPk obtained images at LCM=213°W, 219°W & 222°W where M Cimmerium is totally shot: M
Cimmerium and the eastern part of M Tyrrhenum had gained rather their original
configurations and the junction is pushed from the bright Eridania.
On 10 November (269°Ls), Nj and Mn observed at LCM=320°W ~ 349°W: the inside of Hellas was
not uniform, and the area of M Serpentis and S Sabæus was quite dark, and S Meridiani
came into sight at LCM=335°W (Nj) and
LCM=339°W (Mn). Hellespontus was not
uniform. A morning mist or fog from the southern Noachis to the terminator. On the day, Km shot at LCM=324°W (before sunset), and at 333°W. The former shows a lighter area of a dustdrift
at the western edge of
11 November (270°Ls) ~ 15 November (172°Ls) :
On 11 November (270°Ls) at 00:58 GMT, DMr shot
the planet at LCM=214°W where M Cimmerium is shown and Hesperia is suspected in
IR. The southern continents make a light EW belt and Eridania is a bright
patch. These images at the angle, as well as the images by DPk on 8 November at LCM=213°W, add information to the series of those in July made by MORITA shown in #248 p3071. On the day, in Japan AKUTSU (Ak) started early from
5:54 GMT (14:54 JST; much before sunset) and he secured eight IR images from LCM=286°W to LCM=342°W.
On 12 November (270°W), Ts observed from
LCM=303°W to 351°W: At LCM=303°W & 313°W, Syrtis Mj was definite pinched at
both sides by the light deserts that were yellowish. At LCM=322°W, there was
witnessed a series of light patches adjacent to the Noachis
dark oblique band. S Sabæus looked fat as well as
On 14 November (272°Ls), Ts observed at LCM=283°W
~ 303°W, where M Tyrrhenum was dark and its north cloud at the p limb was
bright especially at LCM=293°W.
On the final 15 November (272°Ls), Mn
observed from LCM=261°W to 315°W: At LCM=261°W and 271°W, there was witnessed a
compact white cloud at the p limb of the southern continents. Hesperia was
visible.
To Conclude :
The water trapped at the peripheral skirts of the maximal spc already evaporated, but the vapour
distribution should not be said to have much shifted to the deep north by the
present season. So the fog or mist phenomena should be watched. The area of
Solis L looks still extraordinary, but if the dust is not locally triggered to
rise up so much, the reduction of the vapour will not
occur by the obscuration through scattering in the dust, and then the mist or
fog may begin to play the seasonal role. In 1988, we observed at around 285°Ls
a very bright and thick ground fog at the morning side when the Solis L area
was at dawn (made much from vapour but maybe mixed
with airborne dust, cf CMO #108).
We further received :
AKUTSU,
Tomio (Ak)
2 Sets of CCD Images (16, 29
September 2001) f/70
32cm speculum with a Teleris 2
Ak's
images on 16 September (234°Ls) are at LCM=165°W and those on 29 September
(242°Ls) are at LCM=039°W. The Ak's
yellow colour diminished in the later image.
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he next issue (#254, 25
December) shall review the observations during a one-month period from 16
November 2001 (273°Ls) to 15 December 2001 (291°Ls).
We hope every set of CCD images is emailed in a jpg file with a file name beginning with the observer's name
to vzv03210@nifty.com as well as to cmo@mars.dti.ne.jp. Drawings are preferred
to be sent in an A4 sized format with just one drawing on one sheet.
Reports will be acknowledged if air-mailed to M MINAMI at Mikuni
(ask the mail-address through vzv03210@nifty.com )
.
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