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th Report:
The CMO/OAA Observations made during a fortnight period
from
1 November 2003 (290°Ls)
to
15 November 2003 (299°Ls)
An OAA Mars Section article to be published in
CMO #283 (25 November 2003 issue)
Masatsugu MINAMI, Director of the OAA Mars
Section
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E here deal with the period from 1 November 2003 (λ=290°Ls) to 15 November 2003 (λ=299°Ls). During the
period the apparent diameter δ
went down from 15.0" to 12.9".The central latitude φ was about
24°S to 25°S, and the southern
hemisphere was well observed. The phase angle ι went up from 38° to 41°. The eastern quadrature was quite ahead, but we were forced to quite observing
before midnight.
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he observers who contributed this period
were as follows:
AKUTSU, Tomio (Ak) Karasuyama,
13 Sets of CCD Images (1, 2, 4, 6, 11, 13, 14 November 2003)
f/33×32cm spec with a Bitran BJ-41L
IWASAKI, Tohru
(Iw)
4 Drawings (13 November 2003) 400×21cm speculum
FRASSATI, Mario (MFr) Crescentino (VC), Italia
1 Drawing (13 November 2003)
250×20cm SCT
KUMAMORI, Teruaki
(Km) Sakai, Osaka, Japan
13 CCD Images (1#, 4, 7#, 8, 14# November 2003)
f/50, 84×20cm Dall-Kirkham & f/40×60cm Cass# with a ToUcam
#
MASSÓ MILLEURO, Félix (FMr) La
1 CCD Image (1 November 2003) 25cm spec with a ToUcam
MELILLO, Frank J (FMl)
8 Red CCD Images (1, 4, 9, 9/10 November 2003)
20cm SCT with a Starlight Xpress
MX5
MINAMI, Masatsugu (Mn)
Fukui,
50 Drawings (1, 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14 November 2003)
480, 400, 340×20cm F/12 ED Goto refractor*
*
7 CCD Images (5, 8 November 2003)
f/50×40cm speculum with ToUcam Pro
MORITA, Yukio (Mo)
Hatsuka-ichi,
8 Sets of CCD Images (6, 7, 13 November 2003)
f/50×25cm spec equipped with an ST-5C
MURAKAMI, Masami (Mk)
20 Drawings (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 14 November 2003)
320, 400×20cm speculum
NAKAJIMA, Takashi (Nj) Fukui,
25 Drawings (1, 2, 11, ~14 November 2003)
480, 400×20cm F/12 ED Goto
refractor*
*
NARITA, Hiroshi (Nr)
14 Drawings (1, 2, 6, 13, 14 November 2003)
400×20cm refractor
PARKER, Donald C (DPk)
6 Sets of CCD Images (7, 8, 14 November 2003)
f/20, 59×41cm F/6 spec equipped with an ST-9XE or ToUcam
PEACH, Damian A (DPc) Loudwater,
3 Sets of CCD Images (7, 12 November 2003)
f/31×28cm
SCT with a ToUcam
PELLIER, Christophe
(CPl) Bruz,
5 Sets of CCD Images (1, 3, 6 November 2003)
18cm spec with a modified B&W ToUcam Pro
ROEL SCHREURS, Eric (ERl)
2 CCD Images (7, 15 November 2003)
f/50×25cm TEC Mak/MX70 with a ToUcam
SIEGEL, Elisabeth (ESg) Malling, Danmark
3 Drawings (3, 11, 12, November 2003) 270×20cm F/10 SCT
TATUM, Randy (RTm)
1 CCD Image (4 November 2003)
f/12×25 cm spec
with a ToUcam
TEICHERT, Gérard (GTc)
3 Drawings (4, 7, 10 November 2003) 330×28cm SCT
VALIMBERTI, Maurice P (MVl)
7 CCD Images (7, 8, 10, 13 November 2003)
f/34×35cm SCT with a ToUcam Pro
Van Der VELDEN, Erwin (EVl)
3 CCD Images (2, 9, 12 November 2003)
f/31×20cm SCT with a Vesta
Pro modified
WARELL, Johan (JWr)
4 Sets of CCD Images (2, 3, 6, 10
November 2003)
f/24×25cm SCT with a ToUcam
WILLIAMSON, Thomas E (TWs)
1 Set of CCD Images (6 November 2003)
f/50×20cm spec with a Philips ToUcam
Morning Mist: Still the terminator morning side was observed thickly covered by the morning
mist. From the Oriental hemisphere the mist was watched over the areas to the
east of Hellas and Syrtis Mj: See for instance KUMAMORI (Km)’s images on 1 Nov (λ=290°Ls) at ω=219°W, and on 4 Nov (λ=292°Ls) at ω=215°W, 233°W, AKUTSU (Ak)’s images on 2 Nov (λ=291°Ls) at
ω=216°W, 234°W, 259°W, Van der VELDEN (EVl)’s on 2 Nov (λ=291°Ls) at ω=238°W, MIYAZAKI (My)’s on 5 Nov (λ=293°Ls) at ω=232°W, MORITA (Mo)’s on 6 Nov (λ=293°Ls) at ω=234°W, 244°W and so on. In particular, Ak’s images show
how the mist enters
The mist
was also visually strong: MURAKAMI (Mk)
described it having a tint of weak violet when Syrtis Mj was coming on 1 Nov
(λ=291°Ls) at ω=251°W, 261°W, 270°W. The same scene was observed by
SIEGEL (ESg)
on 11 Nov (λ=296°Ls) at ω=266°W, and on 12 Nov (λ=207°Ls) at
ω=245°W where the strong mist covered the morning Hellas and Syrtis Mj
while Hellas showed a detail. The present writer observed that grossly the
morning side was whitish, while the afternoon side was yellowish (eg on 4 Nov (λ=292°Ls) at ω=242°W et al), but
even then the evening side sometimes also showed a whitish limb (eg on 1 Nov (λ=291°Ls) at ω=262°W, 11 Nov
(λ=297°Ls) at ω=175°W~192°W et al: See also below for the cases of
the evening Arsia Mons).
LAU Phenomenon: The de-concentration of the mist showing a big hole has been
known since the observation by Canon LAU (CLa) on 9 Sept (λ=257°Ls) at ω=088°W, 096°W and since then it was
frequently observed. Still the phenomenon was seen at this season as were
caught by Km on 8 Nov (λ=295°Ls)
at ω=154°W→219°W and also its deformed form on
9 Nov (λ=295°Ls) at ω=155°W: See also Mo’s images on 13 Nov (λ=298°Ls) at ω=152°W, and VALIMBERTI (MVl)’s images on the same day at ω=138°W.
Wine
Coloured Dark Areas: We have
hitherto paid attention to the areas which showed a tint of dark wine colour
since they must have been made free from the covering by the atmospheric
matters mingled of the air-borne dusts and thick water vapour condensates
(maybe since #14). This time also Mare Chronium and
its vicinity showed the colour as shown on the images by My on 5 Nov (λ=293°Ls) at ω=232°W, by MVl on 7 Nov (λ=294°Ls) at ω=194°W, 222°W, and also by Mo on 7 Nov at ω=214°W. My’s image was sharp and also
proved the surrounding of the spc to show the wine colour. At the region to the
south of Solis L, DPk showed on 7 Nov
(λ=294°Ls) at ω=092°W that the area preceding the morning
mist patch at Aonius S was wine-coloured. This was
also caught again by Km on 14 Nov
(λ=298°Ls) at ω=086°W, while Km also took the image at ω=150°W on the same day and hence it well
shows a similarity with LAU’s case.
Description of the
Evening Limb: We here note that
the description of the limb side of CPl
on 3 Nov (λ=292°Ls) at ω=346°W, 008°W is superb: Since its B shows
a brightness there, the evening haze must be made of water vapour but the
images show that it is mingled still with the airborne dusts. Visually SIEGEL (ESg)’s drawing on
3 Nov (λ=292°Ls) at ω=340°W also shows that the
Arsia Mons: Already
the phase angle ι was augmented to 40°, it was
hard to observe the evening cloud over the summits of Tharsis
Montes. The B image by Ak
on 6 Nov (λ=293°Ls) at ω=195°W seems to reproduced
the evening cloud over Arsia Mons. Km
also took images on 8 Nov, but his processing of the limb was not pertinent to
the observation of the Tharsis area. Visually, the
present writer (Mn) noticed the
remaining Arsia cloud on 6 Nov (λ=294°Ls) at ω=194°W, and on 7 Nov
(λ=294°Ls) at ω=194°W near the limb, and also saw it on 12 Nov
(λ=298°Ls) at ω=192°W. The observation on 7 Nov showed the white area
still remained near the limb at ω=223°W. At ω=194°W, the summit of
Arsia Mons geographically is quite near the limb (by just 6°), but since
ι=39° on 7 Nov, it was still before the sunset by three hours. Olympus
Mons’ cloud already ceased its activity, while the Arsia cloud was near the
second peak.
SPC and Its Surroundings: The white spc was small but clearly seen during the period. As
to the splitting or vanishing of the isolated fragment as suggested by BARNARD’s drawing in 1894 at λ=296°Ls (see Report #17
in CMO#282) DPk’s images on 14
Nov(λ=298°Ls) at ω=342°W
suggests, though the angle was in short. Otherwise EVl’s images on 9 Nov and 12 Nov suggest some projections from the spc,
but look ghost-like. At the vicinity of the spc, Thyle
was interesting. Mn saw it as if
composed of several light spots on 6 Nov (λ=294°Ls) at ω=194°W, and
it was largely roundish evident though not so whitish on 7 Nov (λ=294°Ls)
at ω=184°W, 194°W.
NPH: At the arctic region, we should also be concerned with the activity
of the nph, especially at the regions of M Acidalium and Utopia, though it is
believed the regions are however rather calm in this season. ROEL (ERl)’s image on 7
Nov (λ=294°Ls) at ω=038°W features well the nph, and its
details were shown by DPk on 8 Nov
(λ=295°Ls) at ω=026°W~037°W. Also the nph at Utopia was
inactive as suggested by the images of Ak
on 2 Nov (λ=291°Ls) at ω=259°W(B), of My on 5 Nov (λ=293°Ls) at ω=232°W, and of Mo on 6 Nov (λ=293°Ls) at ω=232°W, 242°W(B).
Auroral Protrusion Phenomenon from Ausonia-Hellas: There was observed from
On 4 November (λ=292°Ls), a fine
day, the present writer (Mn) started
his routine observation from 07:50 GMT (16:50 JST, sunset time) at the Fukui
City Observatory by the use of the 20cm refractor as usual: The Martian surface
showed ω=183°W at 08:00 GMT. The seeing was poor or very poor. The second
observation was made at 08:40 GMT (ω=193°W): Since Mn noted here that the morning neighbour of the spc was light
wine-coloured, the morning mist was rather white, and the morning
Electra-Eridania was usually bright and so on, it must have been such that he
was attentive to the morning terminator. Then the third observation was made at
9:20 GMT (ω=203°W) (started from 9:10 and ended at 9:30 GMT): The se
On 5
November, the sky was not preferable at
On 7
November (λ=294°Ls,
δ=13.8"), though the sky was
haunted by cloud patches, and the seeing was unstable, Mn started from 7:50 GMT and made the first observation at 8:00GMT
(ω=155°W). At 8:40, it was cloudy. Then he restarted from ω=174°W (at
9:20GMT), and observed also at 184°W, 194°W, and reached ω=203°W. At
ω=194°W, the seeing was rather good and used 600× in addition to 480×, but Mn was not aware of the protrusion. At
ω=203°W (at 11:20 GMT), the seeing was not bettered but the protrusion
proved to be clearly seen! To tell the truth, since he had rather discarded the
phenomenon on
At Mn’s observing time 12:05
(ω=214°W), the protrusion was still visible. At 12:09 (ω=215°W) it
looked slightly weaker. But at 12:15 (ω=217°W) it was still caught by 400×
though weak. At 12:17 (ω=217°W) it was seen still by 480×. Even at 12:20
(ω=218°W), the convex form was noticed, but looked disappearing. At 12:23
(ω=218°W), he could detect, but from around 12:30 GMT, the seeing was
broken. At the next routine observation time at 12:40 (ω=223°W), it was no
longer seen, and no remnant was detected. Before that Mn contacted MURAKAMI (Mk) at
At 19:02
GMT (at 04:02JST on 8 Nov), Mn sent
an email to the Japanese observers to check their observations at the beginning
of November as well as to be on the alert on this phenomenon. Since AKUTSU (Ak) took images on
6 Nov at ω=195°W, it was possible for him
to have met the phenomenon.
On 8 November, it was cloudy at
8 November 2003 (λ=295°Ls) : A prominent protrusion from the terminator is visible: On 4 November at
the session of ω=203°W, MINAMI was visually aware of a light protrusion at
the morning terminator around the lat 40 - 50°S, and again on 7 November at
ω=203°W, he noticed the same protrusion. It was explicit until around
ω=220°W. During the session, MINAMI communicated with
My’s
images run nearly every 20 minutes as follows: at ω=190°W (11:05 GMT),
ω=195°W (11:23 GMT), ω=199°W (11:41 GMT), ω=204°W (12:00 GMT),
and ω=209°W (12:20 GMT): these all show the projection clearly but
similarly and do not look to say about the peak. The image at ω=199°W may
be most excellent, but the one at ω=190°W also shows Caralis
Fons clearly. His first shot shows the projection
seems to be weakly seen at ω=170°W (power difference of 40cm from 20cm and
the latitude or altitude difference by 10 degrees of Okinawa from Fukui cannot
be overcome), but we should say his observation might have implied the
projection became quite obvious around from ω=190°W up around to
ω=215°W (quitted by the clouding). If the phenomenon repeated on 7 Nov as
well as on 8 Nov in the same way, since Mn
did not catch it at ω=194°W, the projection must be perfectly obvious from
around ω=200°W to around ω=220°W, and the peak must be at the
beginning of the period.
The convex
area looked to cover the angles around 40°S~50°S (and so about 300km
wide). The difference of the longitude from the LCM to the terminator at 40°S is 70°W, and at 50°S is 80°W so that at ω=170°W
the terminator is located at Ω=240°W~250°W, and at ω=220°W it is
located at Ω=290°W~300°W. This implies the area spans from Ausonia to
After 9
November, no explicit observation
was made. It was cloudy in
We also asked the observers in
Really at
that time, the Sun was active (as reported in some details below), and there is
a speculation that the protrusion phenomenon may be related with the enormous
activity of the Sun, it was really unfortunate (both to us and to him). Km also made several images on 8 Nov, but we did not hear the detection.
So, the phenomenon was
very apparent to the naked eyes, but those who had a chance to see really the
convex complex were no more than
In fact,
as will be reported below, the flares on the Sun was quite extraordinary at the
period, and we were on the alert if some usual events might happen. As was
noted by MURAKAMI (Mk) and TSUNEMACHI
(Ts), in the Director’s Note window
in the Façade,
25 October 2003 (λ=286°Ls) : The Sun looks now active these days. MURAKAMI and TSUNEMACHI informed
us that an X5.4 flare was erupted from AR#0486 on 23 October at 8:19 GMT.
See http://sidc.oma.be/index.php3
and http://www.lmsal.com/solarsoft/latest_events/gev_20031023_0819.html
A strong interplanetary shock wave passed us on 24 October at 14:50
GMT. Don PARKER's image of AR#0486 on 24 October at
17:17 GMT is found in
http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/swpod2003/25oct03a/Parker1.jpg
As to a possible importance of X flares in relation
with the planet Mars atmosphere, see http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmohk/270Note17/index.html
28 October 2003 (λ=288°Ls) : MURAKAMI and TSUNEMACHI informed that an
X17.2 flare was set off from AR#0486 on 28 October at 9:51 GMT and lasted until
17:54 GMT (maximal at around 11 hrs GMT). It caused a full halo CME, and at 12 hrs
GMT a proton event started. See
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/2003_10_28/
This X17 flare
is nominated as the second largest flare observed by
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmohk/270Note17/index.html
Note that the Flare which occurred on 28 October at 9:51 GMT was
announced to be as large as X17.2 and several flares followed. We were
therefore more attentive to a rise of a serious dust disturbance as in 2001.
The
present writer (Mn) has a tendency to
loose interest in those phenomena which don’t repeat (so if the confirmation of
We have
followed HEUSELER as above, and we don’t know the list is exhaustive, but as
far as we depend on his descriptions, none should be said to correspond to our
case. Mn himself have
never seen the grey cloud, but as far as if we depend on the descriptions by SAHEKI
or EBISAWA (long ago in a book in 1954) the present one is not any “grey
cloud”.
If the
phenomenon repeats again in a near future, it may be also clear but never
conspicuous, and so we must always prepare to reproduce the dim terminator side
well.
Appendix: (Solar Activity from
the end of October to the beginning of November): Since just before the great yellow cloud in 2001, it was known a
very great unprecedented flare occurred on the solar surface, we were used to
keep information of the solar activity in mind. In this respect, MURAKAMI (Mk) and TSUNEMACHI (Ts) have been checking real surface or the internet information (Ts also was receiving and forwarding
information from the Hiraiso Solar
Terrestrial Research Center). Thus from the end of October
2003, we began to hear the extraordinary activity of flares and CME: as
aforementioned the one unleashed by AR#10486 on 28 October at 9:51 GMT was of
the X17 scale: Since the one emitted by #AR9393 on 2 April 2001 was first announced
X17, this was really big (the 2001 one was
Thus we
were somewhat on the alert, but we thought the effect if any will appear one
month or more later, and so did not so regard it as a pressing issue. In 2001,
there was a separation of one month and half from the unleashing of the giant
solar wind and the veiling of the yellow cloud. So if the phenomenon on 4
November is related with effect of the X17 flare, it should have been more
direct. The yellow cloud covering is usually considered to be caused by a
meteorological reason, but we may speculate that the expansion at the higher
layers is promoted more physically by some kind of plasma if some accumulation
and retardation is attained. This time if it was also the effect of the emitted
matters of the Sun, we may say the razor thin atmosphere must have directly and
effectively received it on the ground as a cathode layer.
The Sun
activity continued. On 4 November at 19:29 GMT, AR#0486 emitted unprecedented
big flare as reported on the Façade of the CMO Web:
5 November 2003
(λ=293°Ls) : TSUNEMACHI communicated to us that the out-going AR#0486
unleashed a mega X-whatsoever flare on 4 November at 19:29 GMT. It was
temporarily classified as an X17.4 by the SEC, but expected to be revised as
more powerful than X20: See
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/2003_11_04/
Note
Added : The mega flare on 4 November has been revised by NOAA to be an X28,
doing away with SEC's X17.4. The associated proton event showed its peak on 5
November at 6h GMT.
As seen
from the graph here of Mk, it was
emitted when the relative numbers very decreased, that is, the emission
occurred quite near the solar limb, and so it must have been not so fatal to
the Earth though there were reported several difficulties were brought, while
the proton activity lasted at the peak at 6h GMT on 6 Nov. To Mars, it must
have been a little more decisive due to an angle difference. It will be
necessary and interesting to pursue the geometry of the proton path to the
planet Mars in connection with the activity from the end of October to the
beginning of November.
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he
next issue shall treat the observations made in the Second half of November
2003 from 15 November (λ=299°Ls, δ=12.8") to 30 November 2003 (λ=308°Ls, δ=11.2").
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