Solar & Planetary LtE Now for CMO/ISMO #92 (CMO #466)

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¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-15

Received: 16 February 2018 at 11:15 JST

CH4 and 1000nm from this morning

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-15/j2018-02-15-1946_6-1000nm-pmi.png

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-15/j2018-02-15-1858_3-889-8nm-pmi.png

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-15

Received: 16 February 2018 at 10:35 JST

Despite the average seeing Io shows some nice features during transit.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-15/j2018-02-15-1920_0-pmi.png

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-15

Received: 16 February 2018 at 09:23 JST

Variable conditions this morning poor transparency and occasional clouds. Io and a complex GRS wake.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-15/j2018-02-15-1848_3-IR700nm.png

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-15/j2018-02-15-1927_6-IR700nm.png

Regards,Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Mars 9 February 2018 0228UT RGB and IR C Foster

Received: 15 February 2018 at 18:01 JST

Hi all,

I have been away since the 9 Feb visiting family, and am catching up with some reasonable data that I captured just as I was leaving. Hellas at upper right and some cloud is evident over the Elysium region at left.

Best regards, Clyde

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180209/CFs09Feb18.png

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018/02/09-2

Received: 15 February 2018 at 06:12 JST

Jupiter images on 09 February 2018

Tomio AKUTSU (Ibaraki, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Mars images (Feb 13th.)

Received: 15 February 2018 at 02:47 JST

Hi all,

Here are some images from Feb 13th. Fair seeing.

Hellas is bright at bottom with Syrtis Major now coming into view.

http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2018_02_13dp.jpg

Best Wishes

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180213/DPc13Feb18.png

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Juno view of Oval BA and new STB outbreak

Received: 15 February 2018 at 00:42 JST

Hi all,

For those who have not seen it yet Juno obtained a wonderful view of Oval BA and the new STB outbreak a few days ago. See images attached.

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Mars 2018/02/13-Kumamori

Received: 14 February 2018 at 22:15 JST

Mars images on 13 February 2018.

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180213/Km13Feb18.png

Teruaki KUMAMORI (Osaka, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Fwd: ASJ/NAOJ: Celebrated Japanese Astronomer Yoshihide Kozai Dies at Age 89

Received: 14 February 2018 at 10:44 JST

Sent from my iPhone

Bill SHEEHAN (Flagstaff, AZ)

Begin forwarded message:

From: "AAS Press Officer Dr. Rick Fienberg" <rick.fienberg@aas.org>
Date: February 13, 2018 at 5:06:33 PM MST
To: Rick Fienberg <Rick.Fienberg@aas.org>
Subject: ASJ/NAOJ: Celebrated Japanese Astronomer Yoshihide Kozai Dies at Age 89

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS ISSUED JOINTLY BY THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN AND THE NATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY OF JAPAN, BOTH IN TOKYO, AND IS FORWARDED FOR YOUR INFORMATION. FORWARDING DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.

13 February 2018

** Contact details appear below. **

Related Text & Graphics:
https://www.nao.ac.jp/en/news/announcements/2018/20180213-kozai.html

DR. YOSHIHIDE KOZAI, FOUNDING DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY OF JAPAN, DIES AT AGE 89

Dr. Yoshihide Kozai, the last Director General of the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory (TAO), and the founding Director General of its successor, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and former President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) died at the age of 89 in Tokyo on 5 February 2018. His specialty was celestial mechanics applied to satellites -- natural or artificial -- and he was a member of the Division on Dynamical Astronomy (DDA) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

Dr. Kozai’s early career coincided with the exciting era of space exploration when it was literally taking off. One of his prominent works conducted during his stay in the United States from 1958 to 1963 is included in the AAS’s centennial Issue, a special edition of the Astrophysical Journal published in 1999. He enabled the precise forecast of the orbital motion of artificial satellites around the Earth. The current generation might be familiar with the Kozai mechanism (often called the Kozai-Lidov mechanism), which can explain the migration of giant planets into the proximity of their host stars. Its original application was for the moons of Saturn, and it is applicable to exoplanetary
 systems.

After his return to Japan, Dr. Kozai promoted celestial mechanics research at TAO while he was affiliated with the University of Tokyo. Later he became the Director General in 1981 and led the conversion of TAO to a national institution integrating other institutions. He continued as the first Director General of NAOJ until 1994. Faced with the daunting task of promoting world-class research at NAOJ and in Japan, he established or initiated advanced observational facilities (for example, the Subaru Telescope and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA) and high-performance computing facilities. The current Director General of NAOJ, Dr. Masahiko Hayashi, says, “Dr. Kozai wanted his fellow astronomers in Japan to engage and solve the fundamental problems of the universe by utilizing these facilities. We -- the current generation -- owe much to him.”

Dr. Kozai’s work was not confined in Japan. He served as President of the IAU from 1988 to 1991 and was the first Japanese to take that position. For his long years of research and education, the AAS DDA honored him with its Brouwer Award in 1990.

His fellow astronomers and astronomy educators celebrated his 90th birthday only two months ago, according to the traditional Japanese account of a person’s age. As he was always, his curious mind went beyond his boldest students’ imaginations, asking the participants many questions. One could see his influence in many areas, inside and outside of academia.

It made no difference to him whether one is at a university or not, or whether a person is in Japan or abroad. After all, the sky is one and we know only one universe to cherish. Dr. Kazunari Shibata, the current president of the Astronomical Society of Japan (ASJ), says, “Dr. Kozai was the president of ASJ between 1983 and 1985. The community mourns this tremendous loss of a shining star from this world. The only encouraging thought is that his legacy is well alive amongst the hearts of many.”

Contacts:
Dr. Hitoshi Yamaoka
Head of the Public Relations Office
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
hitoshi.yamaoka@nao.ac.jp

Dr. Saeko S. Hayashi
Vice President, Astronomical Society of Japan
+81 422-34-3533 (JST = UTC + 9 hours)
saeko.hayashi@nao.ac.jp
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-13

Received: 14 February 2018 at 08:55 JST

A single IR image this morning taken during a gap in the clouds as a stunning pink sunrise appeared. Oval BA followed by a single dark spot, Ganymede at lower left.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-13/j2018-02-13-1943_4-IR742nm-pmi.png

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter with GRS (Feb 5th.)

Received: 13 February 2018 at 05:55 JST

Hi all,

Some images from Feb 5th. Average seeing. The GRS colour is very striking at the moment - perhaps as colourful as ive ever seen it.

http://www.damianpeach.com/jup18/2018-02-05-RGBdp.jpg

Best Wishes

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-11

Received: 12 February 2018 at 11:04 JST

The poor conditions continue, Oval BA with 2 dark spots and the bright spot remnant.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-11/

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Mars images (Feb 5th.)

Received: 12 February 2018 at 05:59 JST

Hi all,

Some images from Feb 5th. Poor seeing but plenty of cloud details visible in blue light.

Brilliant clouds over Tharsis on the limb.
http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2018_02_05dp.jpg

Best Wishes

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180205/DPc05Feb18.png

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Jupiter STB outbreak in near IR (Feb 4th.)

Received: 12 February 2018 at 04:03 JST

Hi all,

A couple of IR685 images of the outbreak source.

http://www.damianpeach.com/jup18/2018-02-04-IR685dp.jpg

Best Wishes

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Re: Jupiter STB outbreak and Io (Feb 4th.)

Received: 12 February 2018 at 02:12 JST

Looking at these photos from the original point of disturbance and the concentration of it, certainly suggests an impact or "entry event" with upthrust clouds appearing first at high altitudes, much like a pebble dropped into a pond of water with the resulting droplet raising vertical from beneath the entry point; the spread of the activity certainly is indicative of wave action circulation in combination with the rapid rotations of the cloud layers.

------------
Dr. Clay

Clay SHERROD (Arkansas Sky Observatories)

¤····Subject: Jupiter STB outbreak and Io (Feb 4th.)

Received: 12 February 2018 at 02:02 JST

Hi all,

Here is an image from Feb 4th. The STB outbreak source is clearly visible as a small brilliant spot.

http://www.damianpeach.com/jup18/2018-02-04-0929_4-RGBdp.jpg

Best Wishes

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-10

Received: 11 February 2018 at 08:18 JST

What promised to be a great morning with clear skies  a minimal Jetstream and no dew turned into a frustrating few hours waiting for decent seeing which never arrived, just one fair IR & CH4 was the reward.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-10/

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Mars images (Feb 4th.)

Received: 11 February 2018 at 04:32 JST

Hi all,

Here are some images from the 4th. Plenty of clouds visible across the planet, including some brilliant orographics over Tharsis.

http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2018_02_04dp.jpg

Best Wishes

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180204/DPc04Feb18.png

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018/02/09

Received: 10 February 2018 at 07:56 JST

Jupiter image on 9 February 2018.

Tomio AKUTSU (Ibaraki, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-09

Received: 10 February 2018 at 05:44 JST

Europa in transit the highlight this morning during another average seeing session

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-09/j2018-02-09-1922_0-IR700nm-pmi.png

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018/02/07

Received: 9 February 2018 at 23:31 JST

Jupiter images on 7 February 2018.

Tomio AKUTSU (Ibaraki, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-08

Received: 9 February 2018 at 12:00 JST

Io in transit during a period of steady seeing captured this morning before the dew started to fall.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-08/j2018-02-08-1754_3-IR700nm-pmi.png

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Re: [marsobservers] Mars images (Feb 6th.)

Received: 9 February 2018 at 03:37 JST

Damian,

Every time you post your images, this visual observer gets excited and I start to think about pulling my 20-inch out of the garage and setting it up outside (under a tarp) for the season.  Then I see the apparent diameter. ;-) and cancel any immediate plans!   

Please keep your images coming.  I get more excited with each set!

Clear Skies,

Bob BUNGE (Bowie, MD)

¤····Subject: Mars images (Feb 6th.)

Received: 9 February 2018 at 03:29 JST

Hi all,

Some images from Feb 6th. Note the misty cloud in the Argyre basin at bottom.  Brilliant cloud over Tharsis on the p. limb.
http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2018_02_06dp.jpg

Best Wishes

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180206/DPc06Feb18.png

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-07

Received: 8 February 2018 at 10:30 JST

A bright spot in a hook festoon  adjacent to the NEBs caught my eye in an earlier capture. I waited for better conditions although the very heavy dew made imaging difficult which only got worse later.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-07/j2018-02-07-1851_3-IR700nm-pmi.png

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-06

Received: 7 February 2018 at 08:54 JST

IR and CH4 images showing Oval BA and the bright spot.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-06/

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter images (Feb 6th.)

Received: 7 February 2018 at 04:54 JST

Hi all,

Some IR742 images from this morning. Lucky to get anything as it only cleared toward dawn.

Seeing poor but the IR filter helped.

The bright STB outbreak spot has become sheared into a streak.

http://www.damianpeach.com/jup18/2018-02-06-0847_2-IR742dp.jpg

Best Wishes

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Mars 2018/02/05-Kumamori

Received: 6 February 2018 at 17:47 JST

Mars images on 5 February 2018.

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180205/Km05Feb18.png

Teruaki KUMAMORI (Osaka, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Mars 6 February 2018 0233UT RGB and IR C Foster Detail in Hellas Basin

Received: 6 February 2018 at 15:55 JST

Hi all,

Mars this morning, showing some interesting features in the Hellas Basin, which I have enlarged and cropped.

Best regards, Clyde

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180206/CFs06Feb18.png

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter image (Feb 2nd.)

Received: 6 February 2018 at 04:46 JST

Hi all,

Here is an image from Feb 2nd. Poor seeing. The dark mid-SEB spot is prominent however.

http://www.damianpeach.com/jup18/2018-02-02-0915_4-RGBdp.jpg

Best Wishes

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Mars 5 February 2018 0241UT RGB and IR C Foster

Received: 5 February 2018 at 19:39 JST

Hi all,

Nice to have clear skies this morning after a lengthy period of cloud.

I note the rather interesting structure in the Hellas basin, which is most clearly seen in the G image.

Best regards, Clyde

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180205/CFs05Feb18.png

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter with GRS and Io (Feb 3rd.)

Received: 5 February 2018 at 07:45 JST

Hi all,

Here is an image under good seeing from Feb 3rd. Many interesting details can be seen. Io and shadow are present.

http://www.damianpeach.com/jup18/2018-02-03-0844_2-RGBdp.jpg

The south tropical disturbance is dramatically arching above the GRS. Also note off to the right in the south tropical zone there seems to be re-circulation occurring back on to the SEBs jetstream.

Best Wishes

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Mars in good seeing (Feb 3rd.)

Received: 4 February 2018 at 07:11 JST

Hi all,

Some good seeing for this session, though constant mid-level clouds made things a headache.

Lots of clouds and hazes visible across the planet in the blue filter image.

http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2018_02_03dp.jpg

Best Wishes

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180203/DPc03Feb18.png

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Mars images (Feb 2nd.)

Received: 3 February 2018 at 19:15 JST

Hi all,

Here are some images from Feb 2nd. Fair seeing. Chryse is now coming into view. Bright limb cloud over Tharsis.

http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2018_02_02dp.jpg

Best Wishes

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180202/DPc02Feb18.png

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Mars 2018/02/02-Kumamori

Received: 3 February 2018 at 16:57 JST

Mars images on 2 February 2018.

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180202/Km02Feb18.png

Teruaki KUMAMORI (Osaka, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-02-01

Received: 3 February 2018 at 11:42 JST

Oval BA  appearing on the  limb captured in rather poor seeing.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-02-01/

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-01-31

Received: 3 February 2018 at 11:39 JST

Not until 5.30am with a rapidly brightening sky did the conditions improve enough to capture these two images.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-01-31/

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Total lunar eclipse 2018/01/31

Received: 3 February 2018 at 00:50 JST

Tomio AKUTSU (Ibaraki, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Mars 2 February 2018 0228UT RGB and IR C Foster

Received: 2 February 2018 at 13:07 JST

Hi all,

Conditions a bit better this morning, although there was still plenty of cloud and dew to deal with.

Sinus Sabeus/Meridiani, Arabia/Aeria and Syrtis Major prominent, as well as the small NPC and equatorial cloud on the sunlit limb. Possible light cloud over Syrtis Major,

Hellas is coming into view, and there appears to be a marking that is visible in the basin(G image).

Best regards, Clyde

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180202/CFs02Feb18.png

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Mars 1 February 2018 0253UT R and G

Received: 1 February 2018 at 15:34 JST

Hi all,

Ongoing cloudy weather only allowed a small gap for single R and G captures before closing over. Hellas just coming into view on the evening terminator. Submitting what I managed to get for the record.

Best regards, Clyde

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180201/CFs01Feb18.png

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Mars 2018/01/30-Kumamori

Received: 31 January 2018 at 18:05 JST

Mars images on 30 January 2018.

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180130/Km30Jan18.png

Teruaki KUMAMORI (Osaka, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-01-30

Received: 31 January 2018 at 14:08 JST

Io shadow (not well resolved) and Oval BA during a period of steady seeing.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-01-30/j2018-01-30-1911_6-pmi.png

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Mars 2018-01-30

Received: 31 January 2018 at 11:19 JST

A small window of good seeing as dawn approaches for these Mars captures.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Mars/2018-01-30/

Regards, Phil

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180130/PMl30Jan18.png

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Fwd: NASA/JPL: A Vista from Mars Rover Looks Back Over Journey So Far

Received: 31 January 2018 at 11:28 JST

Sent from my iPhone

Bill SHEEHAN (Flagstaff, AZ)

Begin forwarded message:

From: "AAS Press Officer Dr. Rick Fienberg" <rick.fienberg@aas.org>
Date: January 30, 2018 at 4:46:23 PM MST
To: Rick Fienberg <Rick.Fienberg@aas.org>
Subject: NASA/JPL: A Vista from Mars Rover Looks Back Over Journey So Far

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS ISSUED JOINTLY BY THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY IN PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, AND NASA HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, DC, AND IS FORWARDED FOR YOUR INFORMATION. FORWARDING DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.

30 January 2018

** Contact details appear below. **

Text & Graphics:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2018-020

VISTA FROM MARS ROVER LOOKS BACK OVER JOURNEY SO FAR

A panoramic image that NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover took from a mountainside ridge provides a sweeping vista of key sites visited since the rover’s 2012 landing, and the towering surroundings.

The view from “Vera Rubin Ridge” on the north flank of Mount Sharp encompasses much of the 11-mile (18-kilometer) route the rover has driven from its 2012 landing site, all inside Gale Crater. One hill on the northern horizon is about 50 miles (about 85 kilometers) away, well outside of the crater, though most of the scene’s horizon is the crater’s northern rim, roughly one-third that distance away and 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) above the rover.

Curiosity’s Mast Camera, or Mastcam, took the component images of the panorama three months ago while the rover paused on the northern edge of Vera Rubin Ridge. The mission has subsequently approached the southern edge of the ridge and examined several outcrop locations along the way.

Last week, the Curiosity team on Earth received copious new images from the rover through a record-setting relay by NASA’s MAVEN orbiter -- surpassing a gigabit of data during a single relay session from Mars for the first time in history.

The team is preparing to resume use of Curiosity’s drill for acquiring powdered rock samples to be analyzed by laboratory instruments inside the rover, more than a year after the most recent of the 15 times the drill has pulled sample material from Martian rocks.

Inside an Impact Crater

Mount Sharp stands in the middle of Gale Crater, which is 96 miles (154 kilometers) in diameter.

“Even though Curiosity has been steadily climbing for five years, this is the first time we could look back and see the whole mission laid out below us,” said Curiosity Project Scientist Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. “From our perch on Vera Rubin Ridge, the vast plains of the crater floor stretch out to the spectacular mountain range that forms the northern rim of Gale Crater.” The rover photographed the scene shortly before northern Mars’ winter solstice, a season of clear skies, gaining a sharp view of distant details.

Curiosity’s exact landing spot on the floor of the crater lies out of sight behind a slight rise, but the scene includes “Yellowknife Bay.” That’s where, in 2013, the mission found evidence of an ancient freshwater-lake environment that offered all of the basic chemical ingredients for microbial life. Farther north are the channel and fan of Peace Vallis, relics of the streams that carried water and sediment into the crater about three billion years ago.

Sites such as “Kimberley” and “Murray Buttes” along the rover’s route are marked on an annotated posting of the panorama. The Mastcam recorded both a wider version of the scene (from southwest to northeast) with its left-eye, 34-millimeter-lens camera and a more detailed, narrower version with its right-eye, 100-millimeter-lens camera.

The site from which these images were taken sits 1,073 feet (327 meters) in elevation above Curiosity’s landing site. Since leaving that site, the rover has climbed another 85 feet (26 meters) in elevation. In recent days, the Mastcam has recorded component images for a panorama looking uphill southward toward the mission’s next major destination area. That is called the “Clay Unit” because observations from orbit detected clay minerals there.

Record Relay

The opportunity for some high-volume relay sessions with the MAVEN orbiter is helping the Curiosity team gain a bounty of images and other data this month.

Most data from Curiosity, through the years, have been relayed to Earth by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and Mars Odyssey orbiter, which fly in nearly circular, nearly polar orbits predictably passing over Curiosity at about the same times every day. MAVEN, for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, flies an elliptical orbit varying more than 40-fold from its nearest to farthest point from Mars. This suits MAVEN’s science focus on Mars’ atmosphere but results in variable coverage for relaying rover data. Usually, MAVEN passes over rover locations when the distance is too large for optimal relays. However, during occasional periods when the low point of its orbit is near Curiosity’s location on Mars, the relays can serve exceedingly well.

“MAVEN definitely has the potential to move lots of data for us, and we expect to make even more use of it in the future,” said JPL’s Roy Gladden, manager of NASA’s Mars Relay Network Office. The Jan. 22 relay of 1,006 megabits topped the previous record of 840 megabits, also set by MAVEN, but might in turn be bested by other favorable MAVEN relay opportunities in coming days.

The rover team intends to put Curiosity’s drill to work on Vera Rubin Ridge before proceeding to the Clay Unit. Resuming use of the drill requires an enterprising workaround for a mechanical problem that appeared in late 2016 and suspended use of the drill. A motor within the drill that advances the bit relative to stabilizer points no longer operates reliably. The workaround being evaluated thoroughly on a test rover at JPL does not use the stabilizer points. It moves the whole drill forward, with bit extended, by motion of the robotic arm.

Contacts:
Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
+1 818-354-6278
guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

Laurie Cantillo / Dwayne Brown
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
+1 202-358-1077 / +1 202-358-1726
laura.l.cantillo@nasa.gov / dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

¤····Subject: Mars 2003

Received: 30 January 2018 at 02:52 JST

Dear Masatsugu
  I was sorting through papers etc and found this roughly done acrylic showing the visual colors as determined using the Munsell color swatches.  Thought it might be of interest.

   Best

Bill SHEEHAN (Flagstaff, AZ)

¤····Subject: Mars 28 January 2018 0303UT RGB and IR

Received: 29 January 2018 at 16:47 JST

Hi all,

I am going through an extended period of cloudy, wet weather, which looks like it is going to extend well into this week. Thankful for some nice rain, although it is our friends further south in Cape Town that are in desperate need of water (It is projected that they have 72 days before they run out).

I had a very small gap yesterday morning, and despite heavy dew, I just managed to sneak one set of Mars RGB and IR avi’s in between clouds. Not surprisingly the conditions were poor and the blue data was especially poor.

Over and above the well-known albedo features, the small NPC can be seen and it also appears that Argye is detected at the top of the image with some cloud or ice.

Best regards, Clyde

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180128/CFs28Jan18.png

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-01-28

Received: 29 January 2018 at 13:33 JST

Early morning CH4 & IR700nm with less optimal conditions showing Oval BA, CH4 2 hours later after the clouds departed.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-01-28/

Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018-01-28

Received: 29 January 2018 at 08:05 JST

Yesterday was optics maintenance day due to dust deposits on the main & secondary mirrors also cleaned the camera, 4xTV and 9 filters.

Just as well as this morning the seeing was rather good for just 1 RGB.

http://www.astrogem.com.au/Jupiter/2018-01-28/j2018-01-28-1921_0-pmi.png

–Regards, Phil

Phil MILES (Rubyvale, QLD, AUSTRALIA)

¤····Subject: Mars images (Jan 27th.)

Received: 29 January 2018 at 00:18 JST

Hi all,

Here are some Mars images from Jan 27th.

http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2018_01_27dp.jpg

Bright orographics over Olympus and Tharsis.

Best Wishes

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180127/DPc27Jan18.png

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: RE: CMO #465 uploaded

Received: 28 January 2018 at 19:11 JST

Dear Masami Murakami,
An excellent obituary report on Richard Baum.
Best Regards,

Andrew ROBERTSON

¤····Subject: Jupiter image (Jan 27th.)

Received: 28 January 2018 at 03:01 JST

Hi all,

Strong jet-stream over the observatory site this morning so i am surprised something reasonable resulted! Io is in transit. GRS is headed off at left.

http://www.damianpeach.com/jup18/2018-01-27-0843_1-RGBdp.jpg

Best Wishes

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Mars 2018/01/26-Kumamori

Received: 27 January 2018 at 18:58 JST

Mars images on 26 January 2018.

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180126/Km26Jan18.png

Teruaki KUMAMORI (Osaka, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Fwd: NASA/JPL: Dust Storms Linked to Gas Escape from Mars Atmosphere

Received: 24 January 2018 at 05:40 JST

Sent from my iPhone

Bill SHEEHAN (Flagstaff, AZ)

Begin forwarded message:

From: "AAS Press Officer Dr. Rick Fienberg" <rick.fienberg@aas.org>
Date: January 23, 2018 at 12:35:03 PM MST
To: Rick Fienberg <Rick.Fienberg@aas.org>

Subject: NASA/JPL: Dust Storms Linked to Gas Escape from Mars Atmosphere

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS ISSUED JOINTLY BY THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY IN PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, AND NASA HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, DC, AND IS FORWARDED FOR YOUR INFORMATION. FORWARDING DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.

23 January 2018

** Contact details appear below. **

Text & Graphics:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2018-012

DUST STORMS LINKED TO GAS ESCAPE FROM MARS ATMOSPHERE

Some Mars experts are eager and optimistic for a dust storm this year to grow so grand it darkens skies around the entire Red Planet.

This biggest type of phenomenon in the environment of modern Mars could be examined as never before possible, using the combination of spacecraft now at Mars.

A study published this week based on observations by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) during the most recent Martian global dust storm -- in 2007 -- suggests such storms play a role in the ongoing process of gas escaping from the top of Mars’ atmosphere. That process long ago transformed wetter, warmer ancient Mars into today’s arid, frozen planet.

“We found there’s an increase in water vapor in the middle atmosphere in connection with dust storms,” said Nicholas Heavens of Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia, lead author of the report in Nature Astronomy. “Water vapor is carried up with the same air mass rising with the dust.”

A link between the presence of water vapor in Mars’ middle atmosphere -- roughly 30 to 60 miles (50 to 100 kilometers) high -- and escape of hydrogen from the top of the atmosphere has been detected by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter, but mainly in years without the dramatic changes produced in a global dust storm. NASA’s MAVEN mission arrived at Mars in 2014 to study the process of atmosphere escape.

“It would be great to have a global dust storm we could observe with all the assets now at Mars, and that could happen this year,” said David Kass of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. He is a co-author of the new report and deputy principal investigator for the instrument that is the main source of data for it, MRO’s Mars Climate Sounder.
Not all Mars watchers are thrilled with the idea of a global dust storm, which can adversely affect ongoing missions. For instance: Opportunity, as a solar powered rover, would have to hunker down to save energy; the upcoming InSight lander’s parameters would need to be adjusted for safe entry, descent and landing in November; and all the cameras on rovers and orbiters would need to deal with low visibility.

Decades of Mars observations document a pattern of multiple regional dust storms arising during the northern spring and summer. In most Martian years, which are nearly twice as long as Earth years, all the regional storms dissipate and none swells into a global dust storm. But such expansion happened in 1977, 1982, 1994, 2001 and 2007. The next Martian dust storm season is expected to begin this summer and last into early 2019.

The Mars Climate Sounder on MRO can scan the atmosphere to directly detect dust and ice particles and can indirectly sense water vapor concentrations from effects on temperature. Heavens and co-authors of the new paper report the sounder’s data show slight increases in middle-atmosphere water vapor during regional dust storms and reveal a sharp jump in the altitude reached by water vapor during the 2007 global dust storm. Using recently refined analysis methods for the 2007 data, the researchers found an increase in water vapor by more than a hundred-fold in the middle atmosphere during that global storm.

Before MAVEN reached Mars, many scientists expected to see loss of hydrogen from the top of the atmosphere occurring at a rather steady rate, with variation tied to changes in the solar wind’s flow of charged particles from the Sun. Data from MAVEN and Mars Express haven’t fit that pattern, instead showing a pattern that appears more related to Martian seasons than to solar activity. Heavens and coauthors present the dust storms’ hoisting of water vapor to higher altitudes as a likely key to the seasonal pattern in hydrogen escape from the top of the atmosphere. MAVEN observations during the stronger effects of a global dust storm could boost understanding of their possible link to the escape of gas from the atmosphere.

Contacts:
Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
+1 818-354-6278
guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

Laurie Cantillo / Dwayne Brown
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
+1 202-358-1077 / +1 202-358-1726
laura.l.cantillo@nasa.gov / dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Reference:
“Hydrogen Escape from Mars Enhanced by Deep Convection in Dust Storms,” Nicholas G. Heavens et al., 2018 Jan. 22, Nature Astronomy [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-017-0353-4].

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¤····Subject: Jupiter 2018/01/20

Received: 22 January 2018 at 23:24 JST

Jupiter images on 20 January 2018.

Tomio AKUTSU (Ibaraki, JAPAN)

¤····Subject: Mars 22 January 2018 0250UT RGB and IR

Received: 22 January 2018 at 18:41 JST

Hi all,

Mars RGB/IR image set from this morning, with conditions a bit improved.

Evening equatorial cloud over Chryse and Xanthe regions. There also appears to be equatorial cloud over northern Vallis Marineris. Possible cloud over Ascraeus Mons and Alba Patera.

The Tempe region has a brightish spot (IR, R and G)

Best regards, Clyde

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180122/CFs22Jan18.png

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Jupiter image (Jan 21st.)

Received: 22 January 2018 at 00:52 JST

Hi all,

Poor seeing for Jupiter but it was possible to capture the interesting bright plume in the mid SEB.

http://www.damianpeach.com/jup18/2018-01-21-0912_3-RGBdp.jpg

Best Wishes

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Mars images (Jan 21st.)

Received: 21 January 2018 at 23:38 JST

Hi all,

Poor seeing but none the less a result was possible. Bright orographic clouds over Olympus Mons/Tharsis.

http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2018_01_21dp.jpg
Best Wishes

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180121/DPc21Jan18.png

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: Mars images

Received: 21 January 2018 at 23:35 JST

Hello,

Please find below Mars images i have taken so far this apparition.

http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2017_12_23dp.jpg

http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2017_12_26dp.jpg

http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2018_01_06dp.jpg
http://www.damianpeach.com/mars2018/m2018_01_21dp.jpg

Damian PEACH (Selsey, WS, the UK)

Web: http://www.damianpeach.com/

¤····Subject: RE: Mars 18 January 2018 0239UT RGB and IR

Received: 21 January 2018 at 23:28 JST

Hi all,

Ongoing hot, unstable conditions prevented any decent RGB data. Submitting the attached low-res IR capture for the record. The Vallis Marineris complex is approaching the CM.

Best regards, Clyde

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180121/CFs21Jan18.png

Clyde FOSTER (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA)

¤····Subject: Mars 2018/01/20-Kumamori

Received: 21 January 2018 at 19:57 JST

Mars images on 20 January 2018.

http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmons/2018/180120/Km20Jan18.png

Teruaki KUMAMORI (Osaka, JAPAN)

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