Observing the Planet Mars By: Jeffrey D. Beish
CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Introduction
- Space Race Opens New Visions of Mars
- Why Do We Observe Mars?
- Let the Apparition Begin
Chapter 2. The Planet Mars
- A Nearby Neighbor in the Solar System
- Days and Seasons on Mars
Future Apparitions
Ephemeris of Mars
Chapter 3. The Polar Regions
- North Polar Region
- North Polar Hood
- North Polar Periphery
- The Rima Tenuis
- South Polar Region
- South Polar Periphery
- Measure the Polar Caps of Mars
- Using the Micrometer "Zero” Method
- Using the DIRECT-INDIRECT Method
- Alternbate Method to Measure Polar Cap
- Polar Cap Measurements with CCD Camera
- Technique
- Summary
- APPENDIX A: Effect of Phase Defect on Polar Cao
Measurement
- APPENDIX B: Average Polar Cap Widths and Latitudes
Chapter 4. The Surface Features
- Seasonal Changes
- Secular Changes
- Syrtis Major
- Nepenthes-Thoth
- Hellas
- Solis Lacus
- Trivium-Cerberus
- Cerberus III
Chapter 5. Meteorology
- Clouds and Hazes
- Discrete Topographic and Orographic Clouds
- Limb brightening
- Morning clouds
- Evening clouds
- Equatorial Cloud Bands
- Compare Clouds of Mars with Earth
Chapter 6. Dust Storms of Mars
- Introduction
- Idendifying Dust Activity on Mars
- What Causes Dust Clouds on Mars?
- Are Dust Storms Predictible?
- Past Dust Sstorms Seen on Mars
- Dust Clouds in the Polar Regions
- Dust Storms in the Usual Places
- Discussion
Chapter 7. Observing Equipment
- Prectical Limits of Telescope
- Eyepieces
- A Barlow Lens
- Colors of Mars
- Observing Mars with Color Filters
- Some Effects of Colors in the Human Eye
- Image Contrast
- The Atmospheric and Physical Effects
- Effects of Filters on Mars
- Neat Filter Holder
- Advanced Reading List for Theorists
Chapter 8. Atmospheric Seeing
- A Turbulent Upper Atmosphere
- Atmospheric Particles Causes Turbulence
- Micrometeorology
- The Seeing Scales
- Scale State Description
- Transparency
Chapter 9. Making Observations
- Universal Date and Time
- Time Zones in the USA
- Daylight Savings Time
- Coordinated Universal Time
- Physical Ephemeris of Mars
- Sketching the Globe of Mars
- Ls -- Longitude of the Sun
- De or Sub-Earth Point
- Ds or Sub-Solar Point
- The terminator
- The Martian Central Meridian
- Observing Forms
Chapter 10. Measuring Solar System Objects
- What Does the Separation Mean?
- Practical Measurements with Micrometer
- Polar Cap Widths with Micrometer
- Practical Measurements with a Film Camera
- Reduced Systematic Errors with CCD Camera
- Practical Measurements with a CCD Camera
- Mars in 2010
- Polar Cap Measurements from a Typical CCD Image
- Find Latitude/Longitude of a Spot on CCD Image
- Measure CCD Images with WinJUPOS Version 8.0.6
Web page created on January 15, 2005 by Jeffrey D.
Beish Revised: January 11, 2013
Keep up to date on amateur and professional
Mars observers, the latest images and drawings of Mars -- go to
the International Mars Watch Internet web pages. Also, join in with interesting Mars
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