Solar&Planetary LtE Now for CMO/ISMO #86 (CMO #460)

Solar & Planetary LtE Now for CMO/ISMO #86 (CMO #460)

Not every email is necessarily cited in the PDF’s CMO LtE

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LtE#459

CMO/ISMO Index Page

The latest is at the top

¤····Subject: Venus and Mars 15th March 2017

Received: 17 March 2017 at 07:47 JST

Hi,

Yesterday afternoon a lovely break in the long period of cloud we have been having, combined with decent seeing conditions, allowed imaging of Venus in IR light just 10days before inferior conjunction - showing it as a slender crescent. Venus lay directly above the sun and the bowl facing directly up from the horizon was a wonderful sight in the eyepiece. Later I managed with some luck to locate diminutive Mars at 4.4" across clearly showing Solis Lacus and a very small SPC.

Details are on the images which can also be seen at the top of this page;

http://www.skyinspector.co.uk/mars-and-venus

Cheers
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170315/MLw15Mar17.jpg

Martin LEWIS (St Albans, the UK)

¤····Subject: Mars: March 12, 2017

Received: 14 March 2017 at 11:20 JST

Hi ,

I have attached my latest image of Mars March 12, 2017 at 23:32 UT.

Thanks,

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170312/FMl12Mar17.jpg

Frank J MELILLO (Holtsville, NY)

¤····Subject: Well wishes

Received: 13 March 2017 at 08:09 JST

Dear Mr. Minami,

I am writing to wish you a complete return to health. I am sorry you are not well. I have been an admirer of your excellent work on Mars for many years and am hoping you can return to observing the planet Mars soon.

Respectfully yours,

Myron WASIUTA (VA, The USA)

（Myron WASIUTA is an old friend of our CMO, -Also he is an acquaintance of Sam WHITBY).

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmomn0/MWs244.htm

¤····Subject: RE: CMO #459 uploaded

Received: 13 March 2017 at 15:28 JST

Dear Masami and Masatsugu (and Reiichi),

Thank you for the latest edition of the CMO. Thank you also for your ongoing dedication to recording Mars observations from around the world.

As you would have noticed, there have been a few contributing factors to me not submitting further images (weather, seeing conditions, problems with IR imaging, lower elevation of Mars, etc). I have resolved the IR issue, but it is unlikely that I will be able to submit further during this apparition with Mars becoming low from here.

I was very sorry to hear of the ill health of Masatsugu, and I wish him a speedy recovery, with better health in the future.

I look forward to the next Mars apparition with great excitement and anticipation as it will be particularly well placed for observation from my location.

In the next few years, I would definitely like to visit the Lowell and Harvard observatories in the USA specifically because of the Mars heritage and history that they have. If there are any specific people in the ISMO/CMO that are associated with, or closely connected with these observatories, I wonder if I can be given the contact details (I am thinking maybe of Bill Sheehan as a start?).

It has been exciting for me to discover and visit the Mars heritage and History at the Boyden observatory here in South Africa, as well as the Lamont-Hussey Observatory that has now been converted to a planetarium.

Very best regards,

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Mo04Mar_17 & images in June 2016

Received: 10 March 2017 at 23:55 JST

Mars images on 4 March 2017 .

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170304/Mo04Mar17.jpg

And images in June 2016.

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/160613/Mo13June16.jpg

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/160614/Mo14June16.jpg

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/160617/Mo17June16.jpg

Yukio MORITA (Hiroshima, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Mars - March 2nd

Received: 8 March 2017 at 08:25 JST

Hi Mr. Minami and All!,

Here I submit a quick session just before conditions deteriated in IR685 filter.

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170302/EMr02Mar17.jpg

Efrain MORALES RIVERA (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico)

¤····Subject: Mars: March 5, 2017

Received: 7 March 2017 at 09:39 JST

Hi, I have attached my latest image of Mars March 5, 2017 at 23:10 UT.

Best,

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170305/FMl05Mar17.jpg

Frank J MELILLO (Holtsville, NY)

¤····Subject: Re:Venus night side IR observation 2017 March 03

Received: 4 March 2017 at 07:10 JST

Hi David,
Excellent work. The dark patches correspond to Beta and Phoebe Regio (in green/orange in the relief map). Violet areas are lower areas so this is where the thermal signal is expected to be at its brightest.

Christophe PELLIER (Nantes, FRANCE)

Planetary astronomy and imaging

¤····Subject: Re:Venus night side IR observation 2017 March 03

Received: 4 March 2017 at 04:41 JST

Thanks. I really appreciate these images. If anyone else has been successful in obtaining similar images of the night side of Venus in the near IR this apparition, I would very much like to receive them.
With best regareds,

Julius BENTON (Savannah, GA,　the USA)

¤····Subject: Venus night side IR observation 2017 March 03

Received: 4 March 2017 at 04:34 JST

I've had some success in imaging the night side of Venus in infra-red. Some small contrasts are shown after sharpening and comparison with the relief map suggests the darker areas may correspond to the depressed areas of Sedna Planitia and Guinevere Planitia (purple areas in the relief map), though I am cautious about this conclusion on the basis of this data, as the stack is only about 100 images.

Best,

David ARDITTI (Edgware, Middlesex, the UK)

http://staglaneobservatory.co.uk

¤····Subject: Mars - February 27th

Received: 1 March 2017 at 10:21 JST

Hi Mr. Minami and All!,

Here is my most recent session from february 27th under average conditions.

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170227/EMr27Feb17.jpg

Efrain MORALES RIVERA (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico)

¤····Subject: SOLAR IMAGES 24-Feb-2017

Received: 27 February 2017 at 06:01 JST

Hi Guys a clear day at last and a solitary sunspot AR2638, along with a nice prominence. Even in the jet-stream hot zone there were moments of fair clarity.

Best wishes

Dave TYLER (Bucks, the UK)

www.david-tyler.com

¤····Subject: Jupiter images 25th February 2017

Received: 26 February 2017 at 23:49 JST

Hi all,
Some images of the preceding trail of SEB outbreak under good seeing.

Please find attached as well a multiband animation RGB/IR/CH4 :)

http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/SEB_anim_250217

http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-25_03-10_rgb_cp
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-25_04-06_rgb_cp
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-25_02-44_ir_cp
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-25_04-14_ir_cp
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-25_03-32_ch4_cp
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-25_04-31_ch4_cp

Christophe PELLIER (Nantes, FRANCE)

Planetary astronomy and imaging

¤····Subject: Jupiter images, feb. 19th 2017

Received: 25 February 2017 at 23:59 JST

Hi all,
Some images taken under fairly good seeing.

Note very dark GRS in UV and bright CH4 clouds inside SEB wake.

http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-19_03-12_ir_cp
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-19_03-32_rgb_cp
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-19_03-50_ch4_cp
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-19_04-26_uv_cp
http://www.astrosurf.com/pellier/j2017-02-19_04-44_rgb_cp

Christophe PELLIER (Nantes, FRANCE)

Planetary astronomy and imaging

¤····Subject: Mars - February 22nd

Received: 25 February 2017 at 02:41 JST

Hi Mr. Minami and All!,

Here is my session under above average conditions.

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170222/EMr22Feb17.jpg

Here I submit and updated a compilation of images during this current apparition.

Efrain MORALES RIVERA (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico)

¤····Subject: Mars: February 19, 2017

Received: 23 February 2017 at 11:34 JST

Hi,

I have attached my latest image of Mars February 19, 2017 at 23:01 UT.

Best,

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170219/FMl19Feb17.jpg

Frank J MELILLO (Holtsville, NY)

¤····Subject: Mars observation 15th February 2017

Received: 22 February 2017 at 08:54 JST

Dear CMO/OAA-team !

Here is a Mars observation from 15th February 2017.

It was taken by my friend Franz Klauser (FKr) using his 15"Newtonian located in Puchenstuben/Lower Austria.

Thank You in advance for displaying his picture on the CMO page !

best regards

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170215/FKl15Feb17.jpg

Robert SCHULZ (AUSTRIA)

¤····Subject: Mars and Venus (IR and UV) 18th Sat 2017

Received: 21 February 2017 at 08:39 JST

Hi,
Another lucky break in the generally cloudy weather on a Saturday afternoon again allowed an early set-up and imaging of a huge Venus and a tiny Mars around sunset with reasonable seeing conditions prevailing.

I must say that having Venus close to Mars makes hunting it down in a bright sky a realistic possible for my non GoTo Dobsonian- without Venus's beacon-like presence close by finding Mars around sunset would not be a practical proposition.

Details are on the images and you can also see them online at the top of this page;

http://www.skyinspector.co.uk/mars-and-venus

Cheers,

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170218/MLw18Feb17.jpg

Martin LEWIS (St Albans, the UK)

¤····Subject: Re: Mars 19 February R filter

Received: 20 February 2017 at 23:05 JST

Thanks, Roger
Yes, it certainly looks like it was a rather tame apparition, at least compared with the 2nd half of the previous one, where I was able to pick up a number of local dust storms, and which got me off to an exciting start in Mars imaging! However, I guess that the passing of another relatively quiet apparition raises the probability of us having major activity on the next one......
If I recall, the dust storm season will fall closer to opposition in 2018, so I guess that could be a good or a bad thing... It would certainly be exciting to capture hi-res images of the initiation and development of a planet-encircling storm, but I can imagine rather frustrating to image a relatively featureless Mars week after week... :-).
Thanks again for all the interaction over the last while.
Best regards,

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Re: Mars 19 February R filter

Received: 20 February 2017 at 22:17 JST

Thanks, Clyde. I agree with your assessment.

It looks as though another apparition has passed without at planet-encircling dust storm. The latest onset of a planet-encircling dust storm was Ls 312. It's now Ls 321, so it would be unusual for one to start now.

Thank you for your conscientious and helpful observations through the dust season!

Roger VENABLE (ALPO: Chester, GA )

¤····Subject: Mars 19 February R filter

Received: 20 February 2017 at 21:59 JST

Hi all,

Unfortunately afternoon conditions remain very poor. Attached is a rather poor R filter image. However I believe there is sufficient data to be able to confirm that Syrtis Major and Sinus Sabeaus are still detectable. Hellas is also detectable, and appears “normal”, in my opinion. Ls 320 and 4.7”.

Best regards,

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/170219/CFs19Feb17.jpg

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Mars images in June 2016 (I)

Received: 19 February 2017 at 15:57 JST

Mars images on 1, 2 June 2016

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2016/160601/Mo01June16.jpg

Yukio MORITA (Hiroshima, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Amateur astronomers participation in the 2017 European Planetary Science Congress:

17-22 September 2017, Riga, Latvia

Received: 17 February 2017 at 21:54 JST

Dear all,

The professional conference European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) will be held from September 17 to September 22, 2017 in Riga, Latvia.

Meeting webpage: http://www.epsc2017.eu/

We would like to draw your attention to the AM1 session "Amateur collaborations in small bodies, terrestrial, giant and exo planets professional studies" and the AM2 session "Juno Ground-Based Support from Amateurs", in the program group "Amateur Astronomy". Both sesions are convened by amateur astronomers together with professionals. We would like to invite you to attend or actively participate to these sessions by contributing a paper and/or meeting and exchanging views and ideas with other amateur and professional astronomers studying the solar system (planets, asteroids, comets, meteors, ...) and exoplanets, and in supporting the Juno mission.

For contributing, please fill in the abstract submission form that you will find at the meeting web page above (abstract deadline: May 3, 2017). Contributions will be oral talks and poster contributions. The language at the meeting will be English for all presentations.

Please note that this year EUROPLANET-2020 will provide budget to support amateur participants from European countries. This budget will be allocated to participants considering the scientific value of their expected presentations and promoting diversity of participants from different countries. Note also that amateur participants will not have to cover registration fees.

Please feel free to circulate this message to all those who might be interested in the event.

Looking forward your contribution or participation to EPSC2017,

Marc Delcroix, Ricardo Hueso and the co-conveners of the EPSC2017 AM1 and AM2 sessions.

Marc DELCROIX (Tournefeuille, FRANCE)

http://astrosurf.com/delcroix

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