| The red planet Mars is a small rocky body once thought to be very Earth-like. Like the other "terrestrial" planets - Mercury, Venus, and Earth - its surface has been changed by volcanism, impacts from other bodies, movements of its crust, and atmospheric effects such as dust storms. It has polar ice caps that grow and recede with the change of seasons; areas of layered soils near the Martian poles suggest that the planet's climate has changed more than once, perhaps caused by a regular change in the planet's orbit. Martian tectonism - the formation and change of a planet's crust - differs from Earth's. Where Earth tectonics involve sliding plates that grind against each other or spread apart in the seafloors, Martian tectonics seem to be vertical, with hot lava pushing upwards through the crust to the surface. Periodically, great dust storms engulf the entire planet. The effects of these storms are dramatic, including giant dunes, wind streaks, and wind-carved features. |
In below Mars chart the most important features are highlighted.
 Own Image |
 CalSky simulation |
January 7, 2010 @ 23:15 UT | |
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| Picture made with a 10” Meade Newton and a SC3 B/W webcam + RGB filters. The effective focal length used was 4500mm, N=18.0 (4x Barlow). | |||
| Magnitude : -0.9 | 360 sec AVI for each filter in K3CCDTools | ||
| Distance : 0.7064AU | Exposure : 1/25 sec @ 15fps | ||
| Diameter : 13.3” | Brightness : 50%, Brightness meter : 200 | ||
| Illuminated part : 0.977% | Gamma : 0%, Saturation : 0% | ||
| Altitude : +45°23' | 500 images for each color are stacked | ||
| CM : 220.46° | Seeing : 7/10, Transparency : 4/10 | ||
_ToUcam_22-01-08_B=130_stack1560_final.jpg) Own Image |
 CalSky simulation |
January 22, 2008 @ 20:36 UT | |
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| Picture made with a 10” Meade SCT and a Philips ToUcam 740K + Baader IRB filter. The effective focal length used was 10000mm, N=40.0 (eyepiece projection with a 17mm Plössl). | |||
| Magnitude : -0.9 | 180 sec AVI made with K3CCDTools | ||
| Distance : 0.7125AU | Exposure : 1/25 sec @ 20fps | ||
| Diameter : 13.1” | Gain : 40%, Brightness : 50% | ||
| Illuminated part : 0.963% | Gamma : 0%, Saturation : 50% | ||
| Altitude : +64°29' | The 2000 best images are stacked | ||
| CM : 272.67° | Seeing : 5/10, Transparency : 7/10 | ||
 Own Image |
 CalSky simulation |
January 9, 2006 @ 19:50 UT | |
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| Picture made with a 10” Newton Telescope and a Philips ToUcam 740K + Baader IRB filter. The effective focal length used was 5000mm, N=20.0 (4x Barlow). | |||
| Magnitude : -0.4 | 300 sec AVI made with K3CCDTools | ||
| Distance : 0.8527AU | Exposure : 1/25 sec @ 15fps | ||
| Diameter : 11.0” | Gain : 10%, Brightness : 50% | ||
| Illuminated part : 0.907% | Gamma : 0%, Saturation : 50% | ||
| Altitude : +54°42' | The 1000 best images are stacked | ||
| CM : 227.17° | Seeing : 4/10, Transparency : 5/10 | ||
 Own Image |
 CalSky simulation |
December 28, 2005 @ 23:43 UT | |
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| Picture made with a 10” Newton Telescope and a Philips ToUcam 740K + Baader IRB filter. The effective focal length used was 5000mm, N=20.0 (4x Barlow). | |||
| Magnitude : -0.7 | 240 sec AVI made with K3CCDTools | ||
| Distance : 0.7498 AU | Exposure : 1/25 sec @ 15fps | ||
| Diameter : 12.5” | Gain : 10%, Brightness : 50% | ||
| Illuminated part : 92.1% | Gamma : 0%, Saturation : 50% | ||
| Altitude : +30°23' | The 500 best images are stacked | ||
| CM : 36.76° | Seeing : 4/10, Transparency : 5/10 | ||
 Own Image |
 CalSky simulation |
December 26, 2005 @ 20:45 UT | |
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| Picture made with a 10” Newton Telescope and a Philips ToUcam 740K + Baader IRB filter. The effective focal length used was 5000mm, N=20.0 (4x Barlow). | |||
| Magnitude : -0.8 | 240 sec AVI made with K3CCDTools | ||
| Distance : 0.7320 AU | Exposure : 1/25 sec @ 15fps | ||
| Diameter : 12.8” | Gain : 10%, Brightness : 50% | ||
| Illuminated part : 92.4% | Gamma : 0%, Saturation : 50% | ||
| Altitude : +54°37' | The 500 best images are stacked | ||
| CM : 357.47° | Seeing : 5/10, Transparency : 5/10 | ||
 Own Image |
 CalSky simulation |
December 9, 2005 @ 19:47 UT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picture made with a 10” Newton Telescope and a Philips ToUcam 740K + Baader IRB filter. The effective focal length used was 5000mm, N=20.0 (4x Barlow). | |||
| Magnitude : -1.3 | 120 sec AVI made with K3CCDTools | ||
| Distance : 0.6059 AU | Exposure : 1/25 sec @ 15fps | ||
| Diameter : 15.4” | Gain : 10%, Brightness : 50% | ||
| Illuminated part : 95.4% | Gamma : 0%, Saturation : 50% | ||
| Altitude : +51°54' | The 1750 best images are stacked | ||
| CM : 154.77° | Seeing : 3/10, Transparency : 4/10 | ||
 Own Image |
 CalSky simulation |
December 8, 2005 @ 19:37 UT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picture made with a 10” Newton Telescope and a Philips ToUcam 740K + Baader IRB filter. The effective focal length used was 5000mm, N=20.0 (4x Barlow). | |||
| Magnitude : -1.4 | 120 sec AVI made with K3CCDTools | ||
| Distance : 0.5997 AU | Exposure : 1/25 sec @ 15fps | ||
| Diameter : 15.6” | Gain : 10%, Brightness : 50% | ||
| Illuminated part : 95.6% | Gamma : 0%, Saturation : 50% | ||
| Altitude : +50°54' | The 750 best images are stacked | ||
| CM : 161.47° | Seeing : 4/10, Transparency : 4/10 | ||
 Own Image |
 CalSky simulation |
August 30, 2003 @ 23:37 UT | |
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| Picture made with a 6” Newton Telescope and a Philips ToUcam 740K + Baader IRB filter. The effective focal length used was 3600mm, N=24.0 (eyepiece projection with a 17mm Plössl). | |||
| Magnitude : -2.9 | 60 sec AVI made with K3CCDTools | ||
| Distance : 0.3736 AU | Exposure : 1/25 sec @ 20fps | ||
| Diameter : 25.1” | Gain : 10%, Brightness : 50% | ||
| Illuminated part : 99.8% | Gamma : 0%, Saturation : 100% | ||
| Altitude : +21°46' | The 1000 best images are stacked | ||
| CM : 297.43° | Seeing : 8/10, Transparency : 7/10 | ||