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Author
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Topic: Mars Observed
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spaceuk
Member Posts: 2113
From: Staffs, UK
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 01-26-2004 07:18 AM
  
It was a wonderfully clear night last night (25 Jan 2004) in my area of UK at 17:20 GMT (~UTC)Mars was easily naked eye visible at about 0.6 mag.I later looked up that it would be about 1.335 AU distant. Odd to think that there are several Earth spacecraft in orbit or on its urface at that moment. The Moon was aslo excellent viewing being a
illuminated crescent. Even through a small pair of binoculars the craters on the edge and on the terminator were excellent viewing. And not too far from the Moon the brilliant Venus . Planetarium programs reckon it would have been about -4.05 mag last night. I believe them !
Phill
UK
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Glint
Member Posts: 1040
From: New Windsor, Maryland USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 01-26-2004 11:10 AM
Saw a very young crescent moon less than 26 hours old on Thursday. Observed for 1/2 hour after sunset with tripod mounted 11x80 binoculars before the moon slipped down into view below clouds hanging low in the wsw. It was a bitterly cold and windy night.Saturn continues to be very well placed for observing at culmination. I agree about Venus: it is a brilliant diamond in twilight. Here's a pic of Mars I snapped last Summer when the weather was much warmer:  It is a scan of a print shot through a 12.5" f6 Newtonian using a barlow lens on Kodak Professional Supra 400 film. [This message has been edited by Glint (edited January 26, 2004).] |
Scott
Member Posts: 3307
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001
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posted 01-26-2004 11:16 AM
That's great photo, Glint!Pretty cool to think that mankind has landers on all three worlds: Moon, Mars and Venus. |
spaceuk
Member Posts: 2113
From: Staffs, UK
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 01-26-2004 04:13 PM
Echo Scott's words - great shot Glint.I've got a 8-3/4 inch Dobsonian but with the skies here in Uk being draedful last few months havn't lumbered the device from garage to garden :-( One night - just one night :-) No chance of viewing tonight. Overcast with threat of snow showers early Am tomorrow with heavier falls later in week :-(
Phill
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Glint
Member Posts: 1040
From: New Windsor, Maryland USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 01-26-2004 10:06 PM
Thanks for the compliments, Scott and Phil.When I look at that photograph now, it means something different. It is now seen as a reflection of President Bush's new intitiative to send men to both of those worlds. |
dss65
Member Posts: 1156
From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 01-26-2004 11:17 PM
Great shot. May it indeed be a sign of great things to come.------------------
Don |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 01-27-2004 12:09 AM
My last time seeing clear sky here in Seattle was December 18 when I managed to take my scope out for a while. I took this shot of M42: http://www.geocities.com/tegwilym2/astrophotos/SAC8/m42-14x10sec-dec18.JPG I have a 12" Meade LX200 in my basement now that I haven't tried yet. I think that scope has cursed the weather in Seattle! Here is one of my Mars images from last summer: http://www.geocities.com/tegwilym2/astrophotos/solarsystem/mars003_9-5-2003.JPG Tom
...still waiting for clear skies. |
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