From: "Schmude Richard"
Between April 10 and April 21, R. Schmude, Jr. made 6 photoelectric magnitude measurements of Mars with an SSP-3 photometer. In all cases, Mars was brighter than predicted. This is probably due to the large south polar cap which is currently facing the Earth. R. Schmude hope that people will be able to draw and image Mars in the next few weeks.
Richard Schmude, Jr.
I measured the brightness of Mars on March 13 at about 10:30
UT as magnitude 1.15. This measurement is slightly fainter
than the predicted value and thus I conclude that there is
no major dust activity taking place on Mars at this time at
a longitude of 85 degrees west.
-Richard Schmude, Jr.