Mars

The 2003 Opposition

On the night of August 26th 2003, Mars attained a maximumn apparent diameter of 25.1 arc seconds and a maximum magnitude of -2.9! The largest and closest that the planet had been to Earth for 59,540 years! So Mars would be of a good size in most amateur telescopes and present the ideal opportunity to begin capturing digital images with webcams and cameras. The distance from Earth would be an astonishing 56,451,612 km / 35,000,000 miles / 0.37 A.U!

In 2005 there will be another close Opposition.

Mars Fact

Average Distance from the Sun: 227,936,640 km / 141,633,260 miles / 1.5 A.U.

All these images were captured with a Philips Toucam Pro PCVC740K webcam placed at prime focus of my 8" Meade SCT. As this was my first time webcaming astronomical objects, it was very 'hit-and-miss'. Then the AVI-file will have each frame aligned and stacked using Cor Berrevoet's excellant Registax. Finally, I will finish the processing using Photoshop where liberal use is made of various filters.

Below are the few images that I captured....

Date: 20/8/2003, Time: 00:45UT
Seeing: 8/10 Very Good, Transparency: 4
Scope: 8" SCT @f6
Webcam: Philips Toucam
Image resolution: 320x240 pixels
Location: N53° 30', W01° 03' The sky was very steady,
I didn't use the barlow.
This still shows the image
size of the planet as seen
through the scope.
The colour is good and
the South Polar Cap
is very prominent.

Date: 20/8/2003, Time: 00:45UT
Seeing: 8/10 Very Good
Transparency: 4
Scope: 8" SCT @f6
Webcam: Philips Toucam
Image resolution: 320x240 pixels
Location: N53° 30', W01° 03' The above still has been enlarged 4x.
Clearly, the South Polar Cap is
still prominent as is some surface detail.

Date: 30/8/2003, Time: 00:40UT
Seeing: 6/10 Fair
Transparency: 2
Scope: 8" SCT @f6
Webcam: Philips Toucam
Image resolution: 320x240 pixels
Location: N53° 30', W01° 03'
Dia: 25.1", Mv: -2.9, CM: 321, Dist: 0.37au Some high cloud hampered
this view. Image has been
enlarged 3x. The
South Polar Cap
is still prominent as is
some surface detail.

Date: 5/9/2003, Time: 00:30UT
Seeing: 6/10
Transparency: 3
Scope: 8" SCT f15
Webcam: Philips Toucam
Registax v3, 296 frames Image resolution: 320x240 px
Location: N53° 30', W01° 03'
South=up (note Polar cap) west=right
Alt:19° 21' Az:192° 58'
RA:22h29.8m Dec:16° :17
Mv:-2.8 size:24.7" dist:0.38 au CM:281 Features:Syrtis Major to lower left,
Mare Serpentis to upper left,
Mare Tyrrhenum & Cimmerium to the right..

Date: 6/9/2003, Time: 22:32UT
Seeing: 7/10 Good
Transparency: 4
Scope: 8" SCT f6
Webcam: Philips Toucam
Image resolution: 320x240 pixels
Location: N53° 30', W01° 03'

Date: 22/9/2003, Time: 21:27UT
Seeing: 6/10 Good
Transparency: 3
Scope: 8" SCT @f6
Webcam: Philips Toucam
Image resolution: 320x240 px
Location: N53° 30', W01° 03'
South=up-right, west=left
Alt:19° 27' Az:167° 36'
RA:22h16.9m Dec:-16° 15'
Mv:-2.4 Dia:22.3" Dist:0.42au CM:2° South Polar cap is still bright.
Mare Acidalium at lower edge
of disk. The dark feature is
Mare Erythraeum, Aurorae Sinus,
Sinus Meridani & Sinus Sabaeus
Solis Lacus, Mare Sirenum.

Date: 28/9/2003, Time: 22:53UT
Seeing: 6/10, Transparency: 3
Scope: 8" SCT @f15
Webcam: Philips Toucam
Image resolution: 320x240 px
Location: N53° 30', W01° 03'
South=down, west=right
Alt:19° 21' Az:195° 54'
RA:22h15.7m Dec:-15° 51'
Mv:-2.2 Dia:21.1" Dist:0.44au CM:27° Note shrinking South Polar cap.
Mare Acidalium at upper edge
of disk. The light area to upper
left is Tharsis. Dark feature is
Mare Erythraeum, Aurorae Sinus, Sinus Meridani & Sinus Sabaeus
amongst other features.

---Updated 01/05/2006---

	Date: 20/8/2003, Time: 00:45UT Seeing: 8/10 Very Good, Transparency: 4 Scope: 8" SCT @f6 Webcam: Philips Toucam Image resolution: 320x240 pixels Location: N53° 30', W01° 03'	The sky was very steady, I didn't use the barlow. This still shows the image size of the planet as seen through the scope. The colour is good and the South Polar Cap is very prominent.
	Date: 20/8/2003, Time: 00:45UT Seeing: 8/10 Very Good Transparency: 4 Scope: 8" SCT @f6 Webcam: Philips Toucam Image resolution: 320x240 pixels Location: N53° 30', W01° 03'	The above still has been enlarged 4x. Clearly, the South Polar Cap is still prominent as is some surface detail.
	Date: 30/8/2003, Time: 00:40UT Seeing: 6/10 Fair Transparency: 2 Scope: 8" SCT @f6 Webcam: Philips Toucam Image resolution: 320x240 pixels Location: N53° 30', W01° 03' Dia: 25.1", Mv: -2.9, CM: 321, Dist: 0.37au	Some high cloud hampered this view. Image has been enlarged 3x. The South Polar Cap is still prominent as is some surface detail.
	Date: 5/9/2003, Time: 00:30UT Seeing: 6/10 Transparency: 3 Scope: 8" SCT f15 Webcam: Philips Toucam Registax v3, 296 frames Image resolution: 320x240 px Location: N53° 30', W01° 03' South=up (note Polar cap) west=right Alt:19° 21' Az:192° 58' RA:22h29.8m Dec:16° :17 Mv:-2.8 size:24.7" dist:0.38 au CM:281	Features:Syrtis Major to lower left, Mare Serpentis to upper left, Mare Tyrrhenum & Cimmerium to the right..
	Date: 6/9/2003, Time: 22:32UT Seeing: 7/10 Good Transparency: 4 Scope: 8" SCT f6 Webcam: Philips Toucam Image resolution: 320x240 pixels Location: N53° 30', W01° 03'
	Date: 22/9/2003, Time: 21:27UT Seeing: 6/10 Good Transparency: 3 Scope: 8" SCT @f6 Webcam: Philips Toucam Image resolution: 320x240 px Location: N53° 30', W01° 03' South=up-right, west=left Alt:19° 27' Az:167° 36' RA:22h16.9m Dec:-16° 15' Mv:-2.4 Dia:22.3" Dist:0.42au CM:2°	South Polar cap is still bright. Mare Acidalium at lower edge of disk. The dark feature is Mare Erythraeum, Aurorae Sinus, Sinus Meridani & Sinus Sabaeus Solis Lacus, Mare Sirenum.
	Date: 28/9/2003, Time: 22:53UT Seeing: 6/10, Transparency: 3 Scope: 8" SCT @f15 Webcam: Philips Toucam Image resolution: 320x240 px Location: N53° 30', W01° 03' South=down, west=right Alt:19° 21' Az:195° 54' RA:22h15.7m Dec:-15° 51' Mv:-2.2 Dia:21.1" Dist:0.44au CM:27°	Note shrinking South Polar cap. Mare Acidalium at upper edge of disk. The light area to upper left is Tharsis. Dark feature is Mare Erythraeum, Aurorae Sinus, Sinus Meridani & Sinus Sabaeus amongst other features.