Mars on July 21
Mars is 1.3666 AU (127 million miles or 204.4 million kilometers) distant and appears to us on Earth as a gibbous disk about 6.8 arc-sec across and 0.58 magnitude in brightness. The next opposition is on Christmas eve of this year when it will be much closer (0.59 AU), -1.6 magnitude in brightness, and 15.8 arc-sec across, or just over double its present size. Central meridian was 38° so its probably Mare Erythraeum and Sinus Meridani which appear as the vague features on the disk. The bluish north polar cap appears as well.
Images taken with Celestron Nexstar11 telescope, Televue 2.5X Powermate, and Phillips 840K webcam, image in approximate NW orientation (north up, east to left). Image aligned and stacked with Registax4. Sky was mostly clear, turbulence around 6/10, transparency very good, 2-3 mph wind, and location was Louisville, CO.
Images taken with Celestron Nexstar11 telescope, Televue 2.5X Powermate, and Phillips 840K webcam, image in approximate NW orientation (north up, east to left). Image aligned and stacked with Registax4. Sky was mostly clear, 68°F, turbulence around 6/10, transparency very good, 2-3 mph wind, and location was Louisville, CO
July 27th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Good job Vern!.
Sooner or later or skies are going to clear up enough to take a shot of Mars with the LPI.I haven’t had the skies to do any observing or imaging lately.Heh,just when I think I am going to get a break in the foul weather,a new front seems to over take any chances.Oh well,cleaner skies will be here soon!.
Keep the nice shots coming!!.
Andrew