Mars Dec 6

[bird]

Here is an image of Mars from this morning in average seeing, it's slowly getting larger and better placed for us southerners to image...

2 minutes capture per channel in IR (742nm) @ 44fps , G @ 50fps, B @ 40fps
Stacked best 2000 frames per channel.

The limb artifact is still present but somewhat reduced due to better seeing for this image compared to the last one a few days ago.

There appears to be some bright material in a line just below the North pole (at bottom), is this dust?

regards, Bird

[iceman]

Beautiful image Anthony! Excellent work. The lighter patches do look like dust activity, but I haven't been keeping up with the activity on Mars this season.

[bird]

Thanks, I've replaced the original image with one a bit less saturated...

cheers, Bird

[Quark]

Nice image Anthony,

It looks like clouds or material being blown off of the NPC.
Have you sent this to Richard McKim, he is the Mars Guru of the B.A.A and would be sure to provide a most accurate analysis of this cloud or dust feature in your image. If you have, I would be interested in what he makes of it.

Regardless this is a most detailed image and as you have mentioned, the artifact at the limb seems to be certainly related to the seeing and is definitely not as apparent in this image as previously. The phase continues to change so I look forward to more of your work in better seeing.

In my opinion this is the best effort yet, that I have seen, from the Southern Hemisphere for this apparition

Regards
Trevor

[bird]

Trevor, Richard is on my mars mailing list, I guess it's still nighttime over there but I may hear from him a bit later.

Spent some of today painting my scope cover white to try and keep everything a bit cooler during the day, it gets very hot under there!

cheers, Bird

[Troy]

Nice shot Bird :thumbsup:

[Garyh]

Yes a very nice Mars Anthony!
Good to see you over Skype at Glen Innes. The group really enjoyed the Astronomy theme for the meeting!
cheers Gary

[Matt Wastell]

Hi Anthony
Super image of Mars - one of the best to date!
I will get out to look at Mars a little later this month / January. Thanks for the inspiration.

[bird]

Here's a 2-frame animation showing 40 minutes worth of rotation...

cheers, Bird

[Clayton]

Very nice detail. A lovely shot

[mswhin63]

Great detail, damn it spins fast.

[Nightskystargaz]

Bird,

:thumbsup:, Nice image, :D

:thanx:,

Tom

[Lester]

Some nice detail resolved in your image Anthony. Looking forward to more as Mars grows in size.

[telecasterguru]

I like the image Anthony. Getting better all the time.

Frank

[Paul Haese]

Nice image Anthony with lovely detail. I really must get my butt out and do some imaging of Mars soon. I keep looking at the images presented here and elsewhere and say to myself I am not getting any data on this planet. I have been busy being over taken by the dark side with this DSO imaging caper. Can't do everything at once though and I do enjoy looking at your images.

[bird]

Thanks for the comments guys, now just have to wait for thee clouds and rain to go away...

cheers, Bird