Observing Mars


Mars opposition in 2003

Mars opposition in 2005

Mars in the sky


MARS OPPOSITION IN 2003

Chronology of pictures


Here is a Mars view captured from Paris surroundings (Boulogne) on 07/13/2003 at the focus of an 8" MEADE LX200 telescope equipped with a lengthened 3x Barlow lens (F/D=36). Camera model is a Philips Vesta Pro.This view is a combination of 350 raw pictures processed through a wavelet filter with IRIS software.
Mars was at a distance of 82 millions kilometers from earth. Notice the huge southern icy polar cap.

The movie is composed of 24 views captured 5 minutes apart. Mars and earth rotation periods are similar. Mars rotation period is exactly 24.6 hours.

Mars 07/13/2003
Mars movie (400x300 .GIF format 2831K)

 

 

Here is a Mars view captured from Paris surroundings (Boulogne) on 08/01/2003 at the focus of an 8" MEADE LX200 telescope equipped with a lengthened 3x Barlow lens (F/D=36) and a 23A red filter. Camera model is a Philips Vesta Pro.This view is a combination of 1400 raw pictures processed through a wavelet filter with IRIS software.
Mars was at a distance of 63 millions kilometers from earth.

Mars 08/01/2003

 

 

Here is a Mars view captured from Paris french pyrenean mountains on 08/12/2003 at the focus of an 8" MEADE LX200 telescope equipped with a lengthened 3x Barlow lens (F/D=36) and a dark red filter (WRATTEN 70). Camera model is a Philips Vesta Pro.This view is a combination of 1200 raw pictures processed through a wavelet filter with IRIS software.
Mars was at a distance of 57 millions kilometers from earth. Notice the eye shaped pattern surrounding the region of Solis Lacus.
The clear spot on top of Mars is Olympus Mons volcano.

Mars 08/12/2003

 

 

The two views below were captured from Sierra Nevada in South of Spain, respectively on 08/18/2003 (left picture) and on 08/26/2003 (right picture). Both views were captured at the focus of an 8" MEADE LX200 telescope equipped with a lengthened 3x Barlow lens (F/D=36) and a dark red filter (Wratten 70). Camera model is a Philips Vesta Pro.
Each view is a combination of 500 raw pictures processed through a wavelet filter with
IRIS software.
Mars was at a distance of 57 millions kilometers from earth.

Each movie is composed of 7 views captured 10 minutes apart.

Mars 18/08/2003 Mars le 26/08/2003
Mars movie (640x480 ,GIF format 171K) Mars movie (640x480 ,GIF format 178K)

 

Mars in 3D

This 3D view is an anaglyph composed of two pictures from the upper left movie (30 minutes elapsed between both frames).
Try with your 3D glasses and enjoy ....

 

 

Here is another view of Mars captured in similar conditions as both previous ones on 08/27/2003. Turbulence level was less suitable. This view is an addition of 500 pictures.
Mars was at a distance of 56 millions kilometers from earth, the shortest opposition distance. The dark region on top right is Syrtis Major. On the bottom right the circular basin is Hellas plain.

Mars 08/27/2003

 

 

Here is a Mars view captured from Paris surroundings (Boulogne) on 09/24/2003 at the focus of an 8" MEADE LX200 telescope equipped with a lengthened 3x Barlow lens (F/D=36) and a dark red filter (WRATTEN 70). Camera model is a Philips Vesta Pro.This view is a combination of 500 raw pictures processed through a wavelet filter with IRIS software.
Mars was at a distance of 64 millions kilometers from earth.
The joined movie represents 2H20 of rotation on the basis of one frame every 10 minutes. Each frame is a combination of 500 raw pictures processed through
IRIS software.

Mars 09/24/2003
Mars movie (640x480 .GIF format 313K)

 

 

Here is a Mars view captured from Paris surroundings (Boulogne) on 11/06/2003 at the focus of an 8" MEADE LX200 telescope equipped with a lengthened 3x Barlow lens (F/D=36) and a 23A red filter. Camera model is a Philips Vesta Pro.This view is a combination of 500 raw pictures processed through a wavelet filter with IRIS software.
Mars was at a distance of 100 millions kilometers from earth. Notice the drastically reduced diameter, the decreasing phase and the dot shaped icy polar cap.

Mars 11/06/2003

 

 

These three pictures of Mars were captured a little more than a month apart with an 8" MEADE LX200 telescope. All pictures have been set at the same scale in order to compensate the size change of the planet. Juxtaposition of these 3 pictures makes clearly visble the recession of the south icy polar cap exposed to sun rays.

Mars 06/22/2003 Mars 07/29/2003 Mars 09/02/2003
06/22/2003 07/29/2003 09/02/2003

 



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