From Don
PARKER
@. .
. . . . Here
are some more Mars images (on 27 Feb & 1
Mar).
Best,
(2
March 2001 email)
@.
. . . . . Sorry for not responding to your kind birthday message sooner. My
mother had a stroke in January and passed away on the fifth. Then my youngest
daughter became ill. I wound up spending my birthday with her in the hospital!
BAD food!!! Things are better now. I am sorry that I also forgot your birthday,
but we'll do it again next your. On a brighter note, Mars is looking good. The
planet really is good therapy for the troubles of the world! Tom Dobbins has
done a study that will be published in the May Sky and Telescope. He has
reviewed the 1950's transient flash observations of Messers Saheki, Tanabe, and
Fukui and has proposed that these short-lived brightenings resulted from solar
reflections on low-lying ice crystals. The areas in question (Edom and
Tithonius) support this regarding clouds. The geometry for observations will be
virtually identical during early June. We and some of the folks from Sky and Telescope are mounting an
"expedition" to the Florida Keys to monitor the planet continuously for about a
week. Could you pass this information on to the OAA ? It would be most
interesting to be able to reproduce Saheki's observations! Incidentally, the MGS
has imaged this phenomenon. Images from 13-18 Feb, 1998 show a "glint" or
"opposition surge" in Deucalionis. (I'm sorry, but I can't find the exact URL.)
Since NASA never reads the history books, this observation has not been reported
as historically significant. Hope all is well with you. Best to you and to the
OAA,
Best,
(6
March 2001 email)
(Editor's
Note):
MGS's URL concerned is given by
http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/5_24_98_glint_release/index.html
which reports the Sun-glint phenomenon
detected on 13~18 Feb 1998 by the MGS. We will forward further information to
the Japanese members by emails in time. (Ts)
@. . . . . .
Here are some more Mars images (on 4 Mar 2001). Will be
out of town for the next two weeks at:
dcpmiami@earthlink.net
Best,
(7
March 2001 email)
@.
. . . . . Thank you for your kind
wishes about my mother. I really appreciate it.
Tom Dobbins has written an article about
the possible reflection phenomenon in the May issue of Sky and Telescope. Will
update you on further developments.
Best
regards,
(20 March 2001
email)
D.C.
Parker, Coral Gables, FL. PixCel
237 camera 16-in (41cm) F/6
NEWTONIAN
Integration Times:
BLUE (Koheisha, 445nm peak
central; BWHM 105nm)
1.20s
RED (RG610 - No IR
Rejection)
0.12s
Images flat and dark corrected.
Seeing good (7, Pickering). Transparency
variable (2-5m) due to occasional
clouds. No wind. Altitude = 43-44 degrees.
Heavy dew.
Elysium, Hellas bright; morning limb cloud
and Syrtis Blue Cloud. Hyblaeus
Extension remains prominent. Casius noted but
weak.
D.C. Parker, Coral Gables, FL. PixCel 237 camera 16-in (41cm) F/6
NEWTONIAN
Eyepiece Projection @ f/62.2
Integration Times:
BLUE (Koheisha, 445nm peak
central; BWHM 105nm)
1.20s
GREEN (Koheisha, 540nm peak
central; BWHM 75nm)
0.50s
RED (RG610 - No IR
Rejection) 0.12s
Images flat and dark corrected.
Seeing fair (4-5, Pickering, improved late to
7). Transparency poor (3.5m)
due to haze. Wind NW 0-1 kts. Altitude =
30-44 degrees. Heavy dew.
Trivium-Cerberus visible but still weak.
Tritonis S. visible. Syrtis Blue
Cloud distinct. Bright morning limb
cloud/haze. Elysium orographic cloud
formed around local
noon.
D.C. Parker, Coral Gables, FL. PixCel 237 camera 16-in (41cm)
F/6 NEWTONIAN
Eyepiece Projection @ f/58
Processed AIP4Win
Integration Times:
BLUE (Koheisha, 445nm peak
central; BWHM 105nm)
0.95s
RED (RG610 - No IR
Rejection)
0.08s
Images flat and dark corrected.
Seeing POOR (4, Pickering). Transparency
GOOD (4.5m)
High gusty wind S-SSW 0-10 kts. Altitude
= 43 degrees. Light dew.
Trivium-Cerberus visible but still
weak. Bright morning limb
cloud/haze.
Elysium orographic cloud breaks free of
limb haze and intensifies around local noon. Very weak to no terminator
hazes.
Donald C
PARKER ( FL USA )
dparker@netside.net