From David GRAY
® . . . . . . . . . . Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2003 18:10:34 -0000
Subject: Greetings from David Gray
Dear Masatsugu,
Just a word of regret that I have failed to send any Mars
observations for this apparition.
For much of the most favourable
weeks I was heavily involved in reconstructing the observatory roof which had
become increasingly awkward to operate. Unfortunately the best weather
opportunity to do this coincided with the closest approach. What views I had
were often in rather poor seeing however. Prior to that I had
the planet just becoming high enough to observe at the time of departure to
work (03h. UT); when I had the frustrating experience of watching it
with the naked eye on the bicycle ride to the bakery!
All is not lost though as I have some colour
drawings I hope to send you in due course. A lot of the planetary work I am
doing now involves judging colours of features and
attempting to simulate these on the computer (Corel Draw/PhotoPaint
9). These are saved with the aim of applying the hues onto the usual pencil
drawings, which are scanned into Corel Draw/PhotoPaint.
In the meantime there is some final calibrating of the
printer before I am satisfied that what comes out matches as close as possible
what the monitor shows.
Hopefully some good seeing will allow me further
observations in the coming weeks.
May I wish you and the OAA a very happy Christmas and clear
skies, with good seeing, for 2004.
David GRAY (Spennymoor,