2001 Mars Observation Reports -- #18--
OAA MARS
SECTION
CMO
Mars Observations
in the Second Half of November and the First
Half of December 2001
from 16 November (273°Ls) to 15 December 2001 (291°Ls)
based on the article published in CMO #254 (25 December 2001))
Masatsugu
MINAMI, Director of the OAA Mars Section
|
T |
HE apparent diameter of
Mars is decreasing, while the dark markings look comparatively apparent since
the major dust cloud has dissipated. Furthermore the planet has become located
much better in the sky seen from 
our
hemisphere, so that our observable time has not run so short. This time we
review the observations made during the period from
16 November 2001 (273°Ls) to 15 December 2001 (291°Ls)
during
which the apparent diameter decreased from 8.0" to 6.8", while the
apparent declination went up from -18° 26' to -10° 52'. The central latitude
moved from 19°S to 25°S, and the southern hemisphere faces much toward us as in
the coming 2003 case. The phase angle was however still big though it went down
from 44° to 42°.
The
great storm of Leonids we met on 18 November was really a memorable event:
We were fortunate this year because we didn't need to worry about the red
planet at the Leonid time.
The planet Mars runs fast towards east, and it passed by the planet
Uranus on 26 November. We hear TSUNEMACHI caught and watched the jade-greenish
Uranus by moving the telescope from Mars a bit on 25 November.
On 10 December we had the first snow at
|
T |
OWARD
sunset the planet is near the meridian and its altitude is higher, and so Mars
is still an observable figure though the apparent diameter is no longer
preferable. Don PARKER (DPk)'s work this period
was noteworthy and produced several important points. In our country, the Kwantoh district is seasonally endowed with clear skies so
that MURAKAMI (Mk) and TSUNEMACHI (Ts)
observed nearly two times more than the previous case. KUMAMORI (Km) also gave timely good images. A total of 281 observations
were received just without data on 5 December.
AKUTSU, Tomio (Ak)
10 Sets of CCD Images (23, 24, 25
November; 1 December 2001)
f/70 32cm speculum with a Teleris
2
ISHADOH, Hiroshi (Id)
18 Drawings (17~20, 24, 26~29
November; 3, 4, 9 December 2001)
400, 530x 31cm
speculum
KUMAMORI, Teruaki (Km)
18 CCD Colour Images (20, 22~24
November; 4, 6~9, 12 December 2001)
60cm Cassegrain $ with a
Sony TRV-900
MELILLO, Frank J (FMl)
6 CCD Images (17, 21 November; 1,
15 December 2001)
20cm SCT with a Starlight Xpress MX5
MINAMI, Masatsugu (Mn)
71 Drawings (19~24, 30 November; 1,
2, 11, 12 December 2001)
480, 400, 600x
20cm refractor*
MOORE, David M (DMr)
1 Set of CCD Images (2 December
2001)
f/40 36cm Cassegrain with an Astrovid
MURAKAMI, Masami (Mk)
29 Drawings (16, 19~25 November; 2,
9, 11 December 2001)
320x 20cm speculum / 300x 10cm ED refractor
NAKAJIMA, Takashi (Nj)
9 Drawings (23, 24 November 2001)
480, 400x 20cm refractor*
NARITA, Hiroshi (Nr)
12 Drawings (19, 21~23, 27~29
November 2001) 400x
20cm refractor
PARKER, Donald C (DPk)
30 Sets of CCD Images (20/21, 21,
23, 25~27, 29 November; 2, 3, 8, 11, 12, 14 December 2001)
f/44 41cm Newtonian equipped with a Lynxx
PC
TEICHERT, Gérard (GTc)
4 Drawings (27, 28 November; 10, 13
December 2001) 330, 310×28cm SCT
TSUNEMACHI, Hitomi (Ts)
72 Drawings (16, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25,
29 November; 2, 3, 8~10, 12, 15 December 2001)
360x 12.5cm
Fluorite refractor
VALIMBERTI, Maurice (MVl)
1 Set of CCD Images (21 November
2001) f/92 15cm
refractor with a TC245 based camera
$
*
LATTER Half of November - from
On 16 November (273°Ls, the apparent diameter=8.0") TSUNEMACHI (Ts) observed six times from LCM=263°W (7:40 GMT) to 312°W:
On 17 November (274°W), ISHADOH (Id)
observed at LCM=283°W, 322°W: The sky was fine, but the seeing was too poor to
detect Syrtis Mj fully.
On 18 November (274°Ls), Id did at LCM=278°W where
he felt the recovery of M Tyrrhenum.
On 19 November (275°Ls), the present writer (Mn)
observed eight times from LCM=219°W (at 6:40 GMT) to LCM=287°W (11:20 GMT). At
On 20 November (275°Ls), Mn observed from
LCM=231°W: The round continent near the CM was considerably bright. M Chronium was detached from the spc. At
LCM=251°W, M Tyrrhenum looked slightly greenish dark compared with the
preceding M Cimmerium. The eastern arm of M Tyrrhenum was definite.
On the day the seeing was better at Fukui until 17hJST, but the seeing was more
durable at Sakai under a big High, and KUMAMORI (Km) produced a good image at LCM=244°W
(composite made of 102 Video frames). M Cimmerium is of the 1975 shape and the northern
coast sends down several thorns, and the western spike is also apparent.
On 21 November (276°Ls), Mn's observation at
LCM=202°W showed the dark west-end of M Cimmerium popped out from the
terminator fog. At LCM=212°W (the MORITA angle), a canal went down from the
afternoon M Sirenum. Cerberus seemed present but
Elysium was not evident. At LCM=222°W, the desert to the north of M Cimmerium
looked rather reddish. The morning mist/fog was also conspicuous at LCM=231°W,
and Eridania-Ausonia was bright. Watched upto
LCM=263°W. Ts observed at LCM=224°W~263°: A white haze was seen to
the right (west) of the spc. At LCM=243°W, the
western part of M Cimmerium was dark. The nph was
partially bright. Mk observed at LCM=222°W
when the seeing was good: The small spc was
obvious. The continent belt was made of a chain of bright patches. On the day,
VALIMBERTI (MVl) produced a set of good images at LCM=252°W (10:16 GMT), whose angle was comparable with the one by
Km on the preceding day. MVl's
images (by 15cm refr) show the faint Hesperia and
suggest a complex at Ætheria . The simplified
configuration in the southern high latitudes reminds us of the one in 1986.
On 22 November (277°Ls), Ts observed from
LCM=204°W (7:40 GMT) to LCM=253°W (11:00 GMT): The following neighbour of the spc was
faded. The nph was conspicuous declined to the evening side. The
afternoon limb was light. At LCM=233°W, Eridania was light. Mk observed at LCM=212°W, and Km at
LCM=217°W. Mn was from LCM=229°W where Eridania-Ausonia was light
and the western part of M Cimmerium was dark. At LCM=248°W, the east of Eridania,
now at the limb, was covered by a small white cloud. Observed until LCM=258°W.
On 23 November (277°Ls), Mn observed from
LCM=180°W (6:40 GMT) to 248°W, Mk observed six times
from LCM=190°W to 241°W, and NAKAJIMA (Nj) did from LCM=214°W to
243°W. It was hard to see the details, but there was a shadowy segment deep in
the northern hemisphere. M Sirenum was quite dark in
a tint of dark brown. At LCM=190°W (7:20 GMT), a morning mist was there at the
southern continent. Mk also pointed at a
blue-whitish tinge. At LCM=199°W, M Cimmerium was dense in general independent
of the morning fog. The continent was dull. At LCM=238°W & 248°W, the
eastern edge of the southern continent was covered by a white cloud. Mk separated Ausonia at LCM=241°W. Km took images at LCM=208°W (+214°W), where the western part of M Sirenum was well described. The colour
nuance inside the southern continent zone looks complexed.
Scamander is seen. AKUTSU (Ak)
produced images at LCM=210°W, where the afternoon M Sirenum
is definite, and the images suggest northern dark markings. Scamander is
visible. At
On 24 November (278°Ls), Mn started from 6:40 GMT:
At LCM=170°W, the area of Cerberus-Phlegra appeared
shadowy. At LCM=180°W, morning misted was Zephyria. At LCM=199°W, the morning
continent was fogged. M Cimmerium was already dark, and at LCM=219°W, it was
inside and followed by a morning mist. Observed till LCM=238°W. On the day the
depth of the spc looked shallow. At
On 25 November (279°Ls), Mk observed 8 times from
LCM=151°W to 219°W: He checked the Dædalia dark band.
At LCM=170°W, the small round spc was definite. Mk thought the planet showed a ruddy intrinsic colour. M Sirenum and M Cimmerium
were distinguished at LCM=189°W. Ak took
IR images from LCM=152°W (6:08 GMT) to 174°W (7:35 GMT). Ts observed 6 times from LCM=165°W (7:00 GMT) to 223°W (11:00
GMT): The spc was clearly seen though shallow. At LCM=175°W, the
eastern part of M Chronium was dark. At LCM=214°W,
the spc's
morning neighbour was misty. It seems Scamander was
caught.
ISHADOH (Id) observed on 26 November (241°Ls) at LCM=241°W
(12:50 GMT), and on 27 November (280°Ls) at LCM=192°W (10:10 GMT) & 204°W.
At LCM=192°W, seeing being 6/10, the afternoon M Sirenum
was checked. M Chronium was seen. The morning
terminator was whitish misty. The nph was active. Id also observed on 28 November (281°Ls) at LCM=189°W, and on
29 November (281°Ls) at LCM=177°W. On 30 November (282°Ls), Mn observed at LCM=133°W~155°W.
Summing up, the details were hard to see, but the dark markings proved
variously their presence implying that the atmosphere was quite clear from dust
to the extent that even the high thin dust haze at the higher altitudes
receded. The meteorological phenomena prove to have revived with a diurnal
large frequency of temperature as judged from the activity of the morning
mist/fog or frost. The nph was also active.
Latter Part of November by Don PARKER (DPk):
PARKER (DPk) was very active this period and productive.
On 20 November (276°Ls, the apparent diameter=7.8") at
LCM=101°W (23:59 GMT) DPk shot clearly the dark
singular patch near the CM at the Solis L area. As we measure, its latitudinal
position occupies between 16°S and 24°S, and so it is located a bit northward
from the classical Solis L. Coracis Portus or Pontica D is nearly at
46°S, and so Thaumasia is normal however. The dark
band at Dædalia running to M Sirenum
reminds us of the irregularity seen in 1973.
On 21 November (277°Ls) DPk observed at
LCM=077°W/081°W where a trace of Tithonius L to Melas L is seen to the EN of the dark patch. Auroræ S is well dark. At the
southern region, the Argyre area is light as well as Ogygis
R, and the following area of the spc looks misty. In the
north, Lunæ L and Nilokeras
are a bit shown adjacent to the nph.
On 23 November (278°Ls) more excellent images were made at LCM=068°W
/070°W. The area from Auroræ S to Melas-Tithonius
L and also the area of Nilokeras-Lunæ L are described
in detail. Ogygis R is bright in R, and maybe Nereidum Fr is seen, implying that the light-and-shade are more evident than before the outbreak of the major dust
storm. The light-and-shade inside the dark markings must be due to a fallout
from the lower atmosphere, showing however a clearing of the thin haze at the
higher atmosphere.
The images at LCM=044°W (+046°W) and 049°W on 25 November (279°Ls) are also excellent and the light/shade
configurations of the markings are stable, though the images look immoderately
processed. The dark band from M Serpentis to M Erythræum is conspicuous, and bounds the light region from Noachis to Argyre. The south of Margaritifer
S looks withered. Niliacus L is visible adjacent to
the nph. These images show clearly the morning mist patch at
the Solis L area (due to the B images).
The 26/27 November (280°Ls) images at LCM=036°W & 044°W look
slightly unstable, but well show the morning mist following Auroræ
S. The morning side of the spc is misty (the size of
the spc is different in R & B).
On 27 November (280°Ls)DPk produced at LCM=016°W & 021°W a good classical image
of S Sabæus and
The images on 29 November (282°Ls) at LCM=355°W(+358°W)
& 002°W show a detail of the dark band crossing Noachis;
there being faint vertical shadowy segments crossing the light Noachis portion.
Summing up, DPk's images prove more
clearly that the atmosphere has been cleaned as far as seen through R; and may
be more transparent than the pre-storm time. The meteorology from night to
morning looks recovered. Fallout from the lower atmosphere however shows still
some withered areas inside the dark markings. The configurations of the dark
markings left are rather classical. DPk's
work during the present period is really noteworthy and precious.
The First Half of December:
On 1 December (282°Ls), Mn observed the surfaces
of LCM=113°W~142°W, and Ak gave
images of LCM=143°W. Before the onset of the major storm, Solis L was seen
large and dark at the preceding limb when LCM=113°W, but the area now was
vacant but followed by a new dark smaller patch. It was further followed by the
Dædalia dark area and M Sirenum.
To Int visual eyes they did not appear however so dense as on DPk's R images. Ak's images also mild. MELILLO (FMl) gave R images at LCM=325°W & 340°W, where Syrtis Mj and
On 2 December (283/284°Ls), MOORE (DMr) at Phœnix took images at LCM=013°W (at 01:20 GMT): S Meridiani
is depicted comparatively dark, and the new band from M Serpentis
to M Erythræum is quite dark (cf
DMr's
images at LCM=340°W on 15 July (196°Ls), reviewed CMO #248 p3073 line 18),
and the area in Noachis to the south of the band is
light. In
On 3 December (284°Ls), Ts observed from
LCM=103°W (at 8:10 GMT) to 132°W, where she pointed that the colour of the Solis L-Thaumasia
region was more reddish than the following morning area: the latter being
slightly whitish. The nph was bright declined to
the evening side. Id observed at LCM=123°W
(9:30 GMT) where the spc was clear but smaller.
He detected the dark patch to Dædalia. DPk got the first images at 23:01 GMT with LCM=319°W (+321°W), and then the images at 329°W (+330°W): These
are also good and show a white
On 4 December (284°Ls), Km took pictures at LCM=095°W (8:19 GMT), and 111°W: The area between Auroræ S and the dark patch is widely light. At LCM=111°W,
the Argyre area is light near the afternoon limb, and Dædalia
is dark in the morning. Id observed at LCM=123°W
& 137°W: The former was made at the same angle as the day before, but
seeing turned better. The dark patch at the Solis L area was darker and the spc looked more clearly. Notable is that Id saw a light belt along to the north of M Sirenum and Dædalia bounded by
the
Km, using a 60 cm Cassegrain,
produced images on 6 December (285°Ls) at LCM=099°W, and on 7 December (286°Ls) at LCM=064°W & 073°W: the dark patch at Thaumasia is evident, and the light area near Argyre is
reminiscent of DPk' preceding images.
On 8 December (287°Ls), Km shot at LCM=044°W (7:30 GMT) & 065°W, where the Argyre area is light.
Ts started also from LCM=044°W and observed until
LCM=083°W. First Auroræ S was featured and then the
dark patch near Solis L. The nph was strong from north
to the evening side. The spc was obvious. At
LCM=073°W, the following neighbour of the spc is light.
On the day (8/9 December), DPk worked from 22:51 GMT
to 24:45 GMT and produced important images at LCM=267°W (+270°W), 273°W, 285°W, 293°W (+295°W): Syrtis Mj has
returned to a slim figure, and furthermore the images
suggest that Mœris L and Nepenthes faintly revived
after a long absence. As it was witnessed on 28 June (day 4 since the
onset), there was occurred a bright local dust devil from the very morning at
this area, and it was possible the devil caused a wiping of the sand mantle.
The DPk images on 8/9 December provide further information:
On 9 December (287°Ls), Mk observed at
LCM=020°W~039°W, Km at LCM=028°W, 038°W, 050°W, Ts at
LCM=034°W~063°W, and Id at LCM=073°W &
090°W. At LCM=020°W by Mk, Argyre was rather
obscure. Margaritifer S was rather denser. On Km's images, S Meridiani is seen
separated from the area of
On 10 December (288°Ls), Ts observed 6 times from
LCM=024°W to 073°W: The dark markings were well caught though the details were
hard to see. Margaritifer S was rather dark.
On 11 December (289°Ls), observing at LCM=000°W before sunset at 3:30
JST: Mk saw S Sabæus and S Meridiani dark (though the shapes unknown), and
On 12 December (289°/290°Ls), Mn
started from 5:40 GMT (=14:40 JST), and observed from LCM=338°W to 046°W. The
seeing was preferable at first:
On 13 December (290°Ls), TEICHERT (GTc) observed at LCM=136°W (17:11 GMT).
On 14 December (291°Ls), DPk shot at LCM=223°W, (227°W+) 228°W: These are similar to the images on 12
December, but at LCM=225°W, the morning white fog is not yet thick. The area of
Cerberus is complex in R.
On 15 December (291°Ls), Ts observed from LCM=325°W (at 6:50 GMT) to 014°W: Syrtis Mj
was visible, but became faint near the afternoon side.
|
T |
he next report shall
appear on 25 January 2002 and deal with the observations during a one-month
period from 16 December 2001 (291°Ls) to 15 January 2002
(310°Ls).
Getting close to the end of 2001, we would like to express our gratitude
for great contributions we received this year, wishing all to greet happily the New Year.
Reports will be acknowledged if air-mailed to M MINAMI at Mikuni
(ask the mail-address through vzv03210@nifty.com )
.
Back
to CMO#254 Home Page / Back
to Façade/ Back to the CMO Home Page