Solar&Planetary
LtE
Now for CMO/ISMO #28 (CMO #402)
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cited in the PDF’s CMO
LtE
To see the preceding ones, click
The latest is at the top
¤·····Subject: Jupiter on 29 August
Received;
Images of
Jupiter on 29 August.
Tomio AKUTSU (Cebu, the PHILIPPINES)
¤·····Subject: solar images 26th
August-2012
Received;
Hi guys here are some action shots from the
26th. Lone spot AR 11553 might be small but look at the size of the disruption !
Best
wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject: Message from Grischa
Received;
> Hi all,
> WinJUPOS 10 is up.
> Best regards,
> Grischa
> *************
fwded by
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject: Saturn and Titan Reflect
Their True Colors ... from Cassini
Received;
August 29, 2012
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
For no other reason than that they are gorgeous, the Cassini
imaging
team is releasing today a set of fabulous images of Saturn and
Titan...in living color...for your day-dreaming enjoyment.
Note that our presence at Saturn for the last 8 years has made possible
the sighting of subtle changes with time, and one such change is obvious
here. As the seasons have advanced, and spring has come to the north
and autumn to the south throughout the Saturn system, the azure blue in
the northern winter Saturnian hemisphere that greeted
Cassini upon its
arrival in 2004 is now fading; and it is now the southern hemisphere, in
its approach to winter, that is taking on a bluish hue.
So, go to ...
http://www.ciclops.org/view_event/179/Giants_in_Living_Color?js=1
...
and take a good, long, luxurious look, and find out why.
Meanwhile, back here on Earth, the Cassini mission
was recently given
rave reviews by a panel of planetary scientists and NASA program
managers for its contributions to our understanding of the solar system,
a circumstance that bodes well for a well-funded continuing mission over
the next 5 years. Despite the fact that we can't know exactly what the
next five years will bring us, we can be certain that whatever it is
will be wondrous.
Stay tuned for more!
Carolyn PORCO
Cassini Imaging Team Leader
Director, CICLOPS
Boulder, CO
http://ciclops.org
http://twitter.com/carolynporco
http://www.facebook.com/carolynporco
¤·····Subject: Jupiter
28thAugust-2012
Received;
Hi Guys at last
a clear morning with good seeing. The cyan festoons seem to be building nicely . Always one of my favourite features.
Many thanks for
the derotate tutorial Grischa
Best
wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject: Re
Received;
Dear Masatsugu,
I thought you might find this of interest--it's a painting I saw
in a Flagstaff restaurant, and shows the town as it looked when Douglass arrived
in April (and Lowell at the end of May) 1894; the train station is still there, as is the hotel across the street where
Douglass stayed for two nights while awaiting the arrival of his gear.
Bill
SHEEHAN
(
¤·····Subject: Jupiter 2012.08.27
Received;
Dears,
Jupiter this morning with an average RGB, but a nice seeing for the IR (the EZ
festoon at CM is nicely detailed):
http://astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120827-MDe.jpg
The
NNTZ red spot is prominent in methane absorption band.
Sincerely,
Marc DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject: solar images
Received;
Hi Guys here are 4 images from the 11th. There
was a beautiful delicate arching prominence. AR 1538 was heading to the
off limb with big fil.
Best
wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject: Venus images 17
and 18 august
Received;
Hi all,
Here are some Venus images taken under very good seeing on 17 and 18 august.
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/V2012_08_17-CPE
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/V2012_08_18-CPE
With
an IR rotation on the 17th :
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/VANIM_20120817-CPE
The
goal of these sessions was to try to mesure the
rotation of the planet in near-IR. IR images has been acquired every 30 mn during 3 hours with the Astronomik
807 and the Murnaghan 1000 nm. I have taken 3 mesures (2 on the 17, one on the 18) but the result of
around 4 days is not coherent with value I had previously in mind (5-6 days).
Will do more when I can...
Best wishes
Christophe PELLIER (
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter
Received;
Nice morning. The Dec slow motion drive failed
and I had to image while Jupiter drifted through the FOV N-S as I am not
perfectly polar aligned. A real pain but I was able to
get this image.
best,
Jim
PHILLIPS (Charleston, SC)
¤·····Subject:
Received;
Hi folks---
Here is today's view of the sun with the Lunt
100(.8A) and Luntanado (.5A) and DMK 41 camera.
Processing with Avistack and PS2/
Enjoy, and thanks for looking!
Jim
LAFFERTY
(
http://scopetrader.com/jimlafferty/
¤·····Subject: solar images
Received;
Hi Guys
The sun was quite busy on the 10th, here are three of the active regions and one
prominence. The 1004 image contains the very large filament that I
sent out on the 6th.
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject: Jupiter on 21 and 24 August
Received;
Images of Jupiter on 21 and 24 August
Tomio AKUTSU (Cebu, the PHILIPPINES)
¤·····Subject: Solar images 6th &
9th August -2012
Received;
Hi Guys, here are a couple more from a quietening early August sun, including a very large
filament from the 6th. , and a newish
spot group on the 9th.
Best wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject: Mars:
Received;
Hi -
I have attached my latest image of
Mars
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2011/120823/FMl23Aug12.jpg
Thanks,
Frank J MELILLO (
¤·····Subject:
Solar images 4August2012
Received;
Hi guys here are a couple of shots of the
awesome surface activity from the 4th
Best wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject: Uranus 2012.08.10 (from Pic du Midi)
Received;
Dears,
Last Uranus/Neptune/Jupiter images processed from the August 2012 Pic du Midi planets observing
session, Uranus first in infrared, the stack of several images in 685nm high
pass filter turns out rather good, showing nicely dark belts:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/u20120810i-PIC.jpg
The
RGB images (unfortunately not as good as the day before), the red image might
show a darker zone near the pole:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/u20120810-PIC.jpg
Images
(c)
S2P/IMCCE/OMP/F.Colas/JL.Dauvergne/M.Delcroix/T.Legault/C.Viladrich
Hope you did not mind getting all of these
images and rather enjoyed my
sharing the results of such an interesting mission.
Steady skies!
Marc DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject: Uranus 2012.08.07 (from Pic du Midi)
Received;
Dears,
Uranus with the 1 meter telescope from Pic du Midi, in difficult wavelengths (IR 742nm high pass
filter, and in methane absorption band) :
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/u20120807-PIC.jpg
There might be sign of one dark belt on both images.
Sincerely,
Marc DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject: Full h-alpha
disc
Received;
Hi all,
A late clear sky allowed me to capture the frames necessary for a full h-alpha disc
mosaic today (Aug 22nd). A fairly quiet disc is presented with a notable bright
prom off the northwest limb and a lovely curving filament to in the southeast.
Best regards,
Pete LAWRENCE (Selsey, WS, the
http://www.digitalsky.org.uk
¤·····Subject: Uranus
2012.08.09 (from Pic du
Midi)
Received;
Dears
Under conditions not as good as the day before, Uranus with the 1 meter
scope, first in RGB:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/u20120809-PIC.jpg
I
did not adjust the color balance at all; it seems like in the red band
some dark belt and polar zone are very faintly seen.
In infrared, those are better seen, and Ariel, Umbriel,
Miranda and
Titania also:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/u20120809i-PIC.jpg
Images
(c)
S2P/IMCCE/OMP/F.Colas/JL.Dauvergne/M.Delcroix/T.Legault/C.Viladrich
Sincerely,
Marc DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject: Uranus
2012.08.08 (from Pic du
Midi)
Received;
Dears,
Under very good conditions, Uranus in IR with the 1 meter telescope,
showing very clearly two bright bands and a bright limb:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/u20120808-PIC.jpg
Images
(c)
S2P/IMCCE/OMP/F.Colas/JL.Dauvergne/M.Delcroix/T.Legault/C.Viladrich
Sincerely,
Marc DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject:
Received;
Dears,
Here is
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/n20120809-PIC.jpg
Images
(c)
S2P/IMCCE/OMP/F.Colas/JL.Dauvergne/M.Delcroix/T.Legault/C.Viladrich
The image color has been set according to the look at the eyepiece.
The Southern hemisphere looks again brighter, and the northern one is daker in red and infrared.
Regards,
Marc DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject:
Received;
Dears,
Here is Neptune taken with the 1 meter Cassegrain
from Pic du Midi:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/n20120808-PIC.jpg
Images
(c)
S2P/IMCCE/OMP/F.Colas/JL.Dauvergne/M.Delcroix/T.Legault/C.Viladrich
Some bright and dark zones are seen, the two bright in the southern hemisphere
being similar to the ones imaged the day before (same CM), but more prominent.
There is also a faintly bright one one the limb of
the Northern hemisphere.
Regards,
Marc
DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject:
Received;
Dears,
Here is
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/n20120807-PIC.jpg
Images
(c)
S2P/IMCCE/OMP/F.Colas/JL.Dauvergne/M.Delcroix/T.Legault/C.Viladrich
The Southern hemisphere is brighter.
Regards,
Marc
DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject: FW: bill sheehan: observations of Venus
transit
Received;
Hi, all,
Here's an edited version of the transit of Venus paper some of you
commented on, complete with illustrations. Hope it's of some use.
Best,
Bill
SHEEHAN
(
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter images 20 August
Received;
A dark spot is
following BA. Several white clouds on the NEBs are
seen on the shadowy belt.
Tomio AKUTSU (Cebu, the PHILIPPINES)
¤·····Subject:
Re: Uranus images 18/08
Received;
Still Excellent Christophe! It is kind of disappointed that we couldn't
image Uranus with the belts and zones during the edge-on presentation. Not even
the white spot nearly two years ago. I guess it was too much to hope for.
It is five year
after edge-on so the Northern hemisphere is tilting close to 20 degrees
toward us. I think the brightening of the NPR should be imaged
in coming days. Always use a red filter.
Keep up with
your great work!
Frank J
MELILLO
(
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter images, 18th august 2012
Received;
Hi all,
Here are some Jupiter images from this morning. Seeing was again very good,
although it's still not easy to use the UV and CH4 filters :(
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/J2012_08_18-CPE
I
really enjoy the "new" orange equatorial belt !
Best wishes,
Christophe PELLIER (
¤·····Subject:
Uranus images 18/08
Received;
Hi all,
Here are some Uranus images from last night, taken under superb seeing.
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/U2012_08_18_CPE.jpg
Despite ideal conditions, there is still not any belt system detectable (in
visible light of course)
Best wishes
Christophe PELLIER (
¤·····Subject: Drawings of Mars
Received;
Dear Dr.
Minami, Sorry to be late in
submitting my observations. Here I am attaching
my latest drawings of Mars. The weather here hasn't been cooperative at all in
this August. By the time I finish my work in the evening lately, Mars is just
hiding behind the southwestern mountain range, so I have to admit my
observation in this apparition is closing soon.
Best Regards,
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2011/120731/Kn31July12.jpg
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2011/120801/Kn01Aug12.jpg
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2011/120803/Kn03Aug12.jpg
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2011/120805/Kn05Aug12.jpg
PS:I have already started translating Christophe's essay for CMO#401 Japanese version.
Reiichi KONNAÏ (
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter
Received;
Hello,
At the farm using the TMB 10" F/9 apo. The temperature was downright chilly, 68 degrees and
an unbelievable 44% humidity (compared to 80 degrees and 94% humidity at the
Isle of Palms). Good seeing, not great but good. Attached are three images
showing the rotation of the planet during the session FYI.
best,
Jim
PHILLIPS (Charleston, SC)
¤·····Subject:
Mars:
Received;
Hi -
I have attached
my latest image of Mars
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2011/120816/FMl16Aug12.jpg
Thanks,
Frank J MELILLO (
¤·····Subject:
Solar images 29th / 30th-July-2012
Received;
Hi guys this finishes the solar images taken in July. Quite a busy month, with 13 solar imaging days and plenty of
activity.
best wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject: Jupiter images 17th
august 2012
Received;
Hi all,
Here are finally my first images of the season. Seeing was excellent.
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/J2012_08_17-CPE
Best
wishes
Christophe PELLIER (
¤·····Subject: Jupiter
2012.08.07 (from Pic du
Midi)
Received;
Dears,
Last
Jupiter processed from the Pic du
Midi, the one taken on the first clear night with a nice view on GRS and oval
BA - unfortunately the camera had a vertical lines defect, corrected the days
after by powering it directly (instead of from USB).
All images copyright S2P / IMCCE / OMP / F.Colas / JL.Dauvergne / M.Delcroix / T.Legault / C.Viladrich.
RGB:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120807-03h57.0UT-PIC.jpg
R,
G, B:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120807r-03h56.3UT-PIC.jpg
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120807g-03h57.0UT-PIC.jpg
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120807b-03h57.7UT-PIC.jpg
IR:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120807i-04h15.7UT-PIC.jpg
CH4
(processed by Jean-Luc Dauvergne) :
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120807c-04h35UT-PIC.jpg
Sincerely,
Marc
DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter 2012.08.04
Received;
Dears,
Taken from my backyard the very morning I left for the Pic
du Midi, the conditions turned out rather good :
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120804-MDe.jpg
Clear
skies,
Marc
DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject: Saturn
2012.08.06
Received;
Dears,
From the Pic du Midi
on the 1 meter telescope, under hazardous conditions and at a low altitude (18ー), not much to be seen:
http://astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/s20120806i-20h18.9UT-PIC
Clear
skies,
Marc
DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject: Jupiter
2012.08.10 (from Pic du
Midi)
Received;
Dears,
Here are
the results of my last session on Jupiter at Pic du Midi. All images are copyrighted S2P / IMCCE / OMP / F.Colas / JL.Dauvergne / M.Delcroix / T.Legault / C.Viladrich.
RGB and IR 685/742nm images taken with a DMK41 camera -
unfortunately mitigated results, and strong "ring" artifacts on the
RGB probably due to my misknowledge of this camera.
IR 685nm:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120810i-04h23.9UT-PIC.jpg
IR
742nm:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120810i-04h12.8UT-PIC.jpg
RGB:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120810-04h25.0UT-PIC.jpg
More interesting are the tests with fainter filters (methane absorption band,
UV and IR 1µm) with the Merlin EMCCD Raptor camera:
UV:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120810u-04h50.4UT-PIC.jpg
CH4:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120810c-04h41.2UT-PIC.jpg
IR
1µm:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120810i-04h59.1UT-PIC.jpg
Sincerely,
Marc
DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject:
Uranus and Neptune images 09/08 and 11/08
Received;
Hi
all,
Here are some Uranus and Neptune images taken recently, all under good seeing
(excellent for Neptune)
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/U2012_08_09_CPE
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/N2012_08_11_CPE
Since
I have the ADC, I have been able to take images with a luminance filter to make
LRGB images. This helps a lot to get a correct signal to noise ratio.
The SNR of the L Uranus image is good enough to bear strong processing.
Despite this, the visible wavelenghts still don't
reveal any belt system.
Best wishes,
Christophe PELLIER (
¤·····Subject: Solar images
28thJuly-2012
Received;
Hi Guys
here are a
couple more from the last days of July It was quite busy down on the lower left
quadrant.
Best wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject: Persistance
Received;
After getting set up this
morning the sky clouded over and I could see lightening in the distance. I
began to go over in my mind what I'd do and in what order if it started
raining. I could have packed it all up but I knew the seeing was supposed to be
good. Not great, but good. So, I stayed with camera set up and ready to go. It
finally cleared around
best,
Jim
PHILLIPS (Charleston, SC)
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter and Io 2012.08.09 (from Pic du Midi)
Received;
Dears,
Another
session, with seeing not as good as the day before, GRS is rising.
All images copyright S2P / IMCCE / OMP / F.Colas / JL.Dauvergne / M.Delcroix / T.Legault / C.Viladrich.
RGB:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120809-04h10.4UT-PIC.jpg
R,G,B:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120809r-04h08.8UT-PIC.jpg
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120809g-04h10.4UT-PIC.jpg
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120809b-04h12.0UT-PIC.jpg
IR:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120809i-04h05.6UT-PIC.jpg
CH4,
just for the record as it was taken too late after the sunrise, and there were
two big spots of dust on the Raptor sensor ... Both GRS and BA were rising:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120809c-05h13.3UT-PIC.jpg
Clear
skies,
Marc
DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject:
solar images 26July-2012
Received;
Hi Guys here are a
couple of images from the 26 July, including that super prom. All a bit belated due to avid Olympic watching.
Best wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject: Jupiter
Received;
10" F./14.6 Maksutov @ F/36
77 degrees 93% Humidity Dew Point 75 degrees
Good Seeing but Wet (what else?!). GRS was visible and rotating off as Jupiter
got higher in the sky.See attached FYI.
best,
Jim
PHILLIPS (Charleston, SC)
¤·····Subject: Starry
background to solar disks
Received;
Hi folks--its been so hot here this week I thought Id stay indoors and
apply a starry background to some full solar disks in HA and white light to see
how it worked. The background is from an earlier image I took during my
DSO days. Just something a little different.
Adding the starry background which was shot with an STL-11000 camera sure added
to the file size.
Jim
LAFFERTY
(
http://scopetrader.com/jimlafferty/
¤·····Subject:
MARS -
Received;
Mars last MARS, didn't even try to process it nicely.
Conditions were really
poor.
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2011/120806/FWl06Aug12.jpg
Freddy WILLEMS (
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter, Io and Europa 2012.08.08 (from Pic du Midi)
Received;
Dears,
I had the chance to spend a week at Pic du Midi, France, using the 1 meter telescope there for
planetary imaging. Plenty of processing pending on many planets, but here is
first a full session of Jupiter imaging (unfortunately at this azimuth Jupiter
is not well placed from the 1 meter telescope, above another building).
All images are copyrighted S2P / IMCCE / OMP / F.Colas
/ JL.Dauvergne / M.Delcroix
/ T.Legault / C.Viladrich.
RGB:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120808-04h30.9UT-PIC.jpg
IR>685nm,
the most detailed:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120808i-03h49.5UT-PIC.jpg
IR>742nm
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120808i-03h45.0UT-PIC.jpg
R,
G, B:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120808r-04h30.3UT-PIC.jpg
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120808g-04h30.8UT-PIC.jpg
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120808b-04h31.6UT-PIC.jpg
CH4:
http://www.astrosurf.com/delcroix/images/planches/j20120808c-04h44UT-PIC.jpg
All
images with a SKYnyx 2-1M processed by myself, except
the CH4 with a Merlin EMCCD Raptor, processed by Jean-Luc Dauvergne.
More to come in the next days (we had 4 days of good weather, even if this
session might be the best one).
Marc DELCROIX (
¤·····Subject: Jupiter 29 July
Received;
Hi
All,
I have attached some very belated
RGB, CH4 and UV Jupiter images from 28 July.
Best,
Don PAKER (
¤·····Subject: Saturn, August
12
Received;
Hi all, here is an RGB
image of Saturn from this evening in reasonable seeing. I've added an enhanced
inset showing a prominent bright spot (although there are other bright spots in
the image as well) and a dark spot.
link:
http://www.acquerra.com.au/astro/gallery/saturn/20120812-090734/large.jpg
regards,
Anthony WESLEY (
¤·····Subject: FW: UCLA:
Scientist Discovers Plate Tectonics on Mars
Received;
------------------------------------------
From: "AAS Press
Officer Dr. Rick Fienberg" <rick.fienberg@aas.org>
Date:
To: "AAS Press Officer Dr. Rick Fienberg"
<rick.fienberg@aas.org>
Subject: UCLA: Scientist Discovers Plate Tectonics on Mars
THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS
ISSUED BY THE
** Contact information appears below. **
Text, images, and video:
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-scientist-discovers-plate-237303.aspx
UCLA SCIENTIST DISCOVERS PLATE TECTONICS ON MARS
For years, many scientists had thought that plate tectonics existed nowhere in
our solar system but on Earth. Now, a UCLA scientist has discovered that the
geological phenomenon, which involves the movement of huge crustal
plates beneath a planet’s surface, also exists on Mars.
“Mars is at a primitive stage of plate tectonics. It gives us a glimpse of how
the early Earth may have looked and may help us understand how plate tectonics
began on Earth,” said An Yin, a UCLA professor of Earth and space sciences and
the sole author of the new research.
Yin made the discovery during his analysis of satellite images from THEMIS
(Thermal Emission Imaging System), an instrument on board the Mars Odyssey
spacecraft, and from the HIRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment)
camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. He analyzed about 100 satellite
images -- approximately a dozen were revealing of plate tectonics.
Yin has conducted geologic research in the
“When I studied the satellite images from Mars, many of the features looked
very much like fault systems I have seen in the
For example, he saw a very smooth, flat side of a canyon wall, which can be
generated only by a fault, and a steep cliff, comparable to cliffs in
“You don’t see these features anywhere else on other planets in our solar
system, other than Earth and Mars,” said Yin, whose research is featured as the
cover story in the August issue of the journal Lithosphere.
The surface of Mars contains the longest and deepest system of canyons in our
solar system, known as Valles Marineris
(Latin for Mariner Valleys and named for the Mariner 9 Mars orbiter of 1971-72,
which discovered it). It is nearly 2,500 miles long -- about nine times longer
than the Earth’s
“In the beginning, I did not expect plate tectonics, but the more I studied it,
the more I realized Mars is so different from what other scientists
anticipated,” Yin said. “I saw that the idea that it is just a big crack that
opened up is incorrect. It is really a plate boundary, with horizontal motion.
That is kind of shocking, but the evidence is quite clear.
“The shell is broken and is moving horizontally over a long distance. It is very
similar to the Earth’s
The two plates divided by Mars’ Valles Marineris have moved approximately 93 miles horizontally
relative to each other, Yin said.
Yin, whose research is partly funded by the National Science Foundation, calls
the two plates on Mars the Valles Marineris
North and the Valles Marineris
South.
“Earth has a very broken ‘egg shell,’ so its surface has many plates; Mars’ is
slightly broken and may be on the way to becoming very broken, except its pace
is very slow due to its small size and, thus, less thermal energy to drive it,”
Yin said. “This may be the reason Mars has fewer plates than on Earth.”
Mars has landslides, and Yin said a fault is shifting the landslides, moving
them from their source.
Does Yin think there are Mars-quakes?
“I think so,” he said. “I think the fault is probably still active, but not
every day. It wakes up every once in a while, over a very long duration --
perhaps every million years or more.”
Yin is very confident in his findings, but mysteries remain, he said, including
how far beneath the surface the plates are located. “I don’t quite understand
why the plates are moving with such a large magnitude or what the rate of
movement is; maybe Mars has a different form of plate tectonics,” Yin said.
“The rate is much slower than on Earth.”
The Earth has a broken shell with seven major plates; pieces of the shell move, and one plate may move over another. Yin is doubtful
that Mars has more than two plates.
“We have been able to identify only the two plates,” he said. “For the other
areas on Mars, I think the chances are very, very small. I don’t see any other
major crack.”
Did the movement of Valles Marineris
North and Valles Marineris
South create the enormous canyons on Mars? What led to the creation of plate
tectonics on Earth?
Yin, who will continue to study plate tectonics on Mars, will answer those
questions in a follow-up paper that he also plans to publish in the journal
Lithosphere.
Contact:
Stuart Wolpert
swolpert@support.ucla.edu
+1 310-206-0511
UCLA is
------------------------------------------
Bill
SHEEHAN
(
¤·····Subject: Solar Images
Received;
Hi Guys
here are the major features from the 25th. An odd mast like prom
of great height. Ha and white shots of Active Regions 11530 and 11529 and a large billowing prominence.
All images 90
Best wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject:
Received;
Hi folks--
Had some
fun combining white light and Ha today. That and some other
shots with the ES 127 ED APO, ES 80mm
Enjoy and thanks for looking!
Jim
LAFFERTY
(
http://scopetrader.com/jimlafferty/
¤·····Subject:
SOLAR IMAGES
Received;
Hi guys
Another set of proms,
two that had nice arches of faint extensions and one bright active one shown
here (
Best wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter July 31
Received;
Jupiter under variable
seeing from fair to good at dawn on July 31
http://www.astrosurf.com/pcasquinha/jup120731.jpg
Paulo
CASQUINHA (
www.astrosurf.com
¤·····Subject:
Solar images
Received; 7
August 2012 at 15:45 JST
Hi Guys we
have had a pretty shabby summer here in UK, but the last week in July bestowed
some daily sporadic sunshine, with some spectacular activity. Here are
some proms from the 22nd.
REF Gong
website
http://halpha.nso.edu/keep/hag/201207/20120722/20120722094914Th.jpg
This website is an
excellent reference tool for confirming when, where and orientation when post
processing images.
Best wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the UK)
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter
Received; 6
August 2012 at 09:27 JST
I initially
set the alarm for
Well, when I got up
there were a few nice sized openings in the clouds so I headed out to the
observatory. Once there with everything set up it clouded over completely.
Nothing to do but wait and sure enough, at 5:40 it cleared and the seeing was
good!
best,
Jim
PHILLIPS (Charleston, SC)
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter
Received; 6
August 2012 at 09:02 JST
Up Saturday morning
and was surprised to find that at the farm the temp was a cool 72 degrees with
low humidity. Good seeing.
Jim PHILLIPS (Charleston,
SC)
¤·····Subject: FW: From bill sheehan: interview
Received; 3
August 2012 at 23:40 JST
Dear Masatsugu,Bob,
Here’s the story the reporter wrote based on her interview with me
this AM:
http://www.livescience.com/22119-mars-cultural-fascination.html
This is only the meagerest
sketch of what we discussed in 20 minutes. Should I write up a sketch for
CMO/ISMO on the whole conversation? It included a number of interesting developments
that this sketch doesn’t touch on. Perhaps this would serve for the
CMO/ISMO next issue?
Exciting the landing of Curiosity—its firsts pictures will be
beamed back on August 6, the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. (Masatsugu: the tour we made, with Asada, of the Nagasaki
bomb museum will never be forgotten, and I also reel still at the thought that
the Peace Park, located where Fat Man exploded in 1945, is on St. Paul
Avenue—just yesterday I was in St. Paul ( a city in Minnesota).
Bill SHEEHAN (Willmar,
MN)
¤·····Subject:
Full solar disc mosaic, August 2nd
Received; 3
August 2012 at 10:37 JST
Hi all,
A wonderful display of filaments on yesterday's h-alpha solar disc. A nice
spread of good activity in both hemispheres too.
Best regards,
Pete LAWRENCE (Selsey, WS, the
http://www.digitalsky.org.uk
¤·····Subject:
From bill sheehan
Received; 2
August 2012 at 22:38 JST
Dear Masatsugu,
I am hoping to see if I can find some Mars-related article
for you to run—meanwhile, I got called just today by a reporter who wants to
interview me on the eve of the Curiosity landing next week. I just got
back from the Twin Cities where I presented a PowerPoint on neurodevelopmental
disorders—it’s great to have that out of the way.
Meanwhile, I thought you might like to see these—one of two
Lowell staff setting up Percival’s 6-inch refractor
(the one he brought with him to Japan) in the front yard of Baronial
Mansion-II, where the Sole Trustee Bill Putnam lives, and the other of a group
of us, including myself with the funny hat, posing with the coronagraphs used
to observe the aureole. Paolo Tanga, who led
the expedition (from the Cote d’Azur Observatory)
isn’t shown since he took the picture.
Kind
regards,
Bill
SHEEHAN
(Willmar, MN)
¤·····Subject:
Jupiter
Received; 2
August 2012 at 09:40 JST
Hi Guys
Here are a couple of belated images from 23rd July. Red seeing was good
but green and blue seeing was a bit sad.
Best wishes
Dave TYLER (Bucks,
the UK)
www.david-tyler.com
Ham call G4PIE
¤·····Subject:
Mars Animation and Albedo Map
Received; 2
August 2012 at 06:46 JST
Dear Mr Minami and Mr
Murakami,
I am just checking
that you received a copy of my Mars albedo
map which can be seen at
http://www.skyinspector.co.uk/Mars-Albedo-Maps(2376972).htm
and which I
have also attached. Also please see my Mars 2012 rotational animation
which you can view at;
http://www.skyinspector.co.uk/Mars-Rotation-Animations(2369874).htm
I would be very
happy if you put the map on the CMO website and a link to the rotational
animation.
Best regards,
Martin
LEWIS
(St. Albans, Hertfordshire, the UK)