Starship Asterisk*

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 5:52 amBecause it's true that Mars will be quite close and bright this summer and fall, isn't it?

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 5:52 am Wasn't it in 2001 that Mars was especially close to the Earth? And lots and lots of amateurs were looking forward to the opportunity of taking sharp images of the Martian surface features? And then everything was just blotted out by the planet-wide dust storm?

If this ringside view of a global Martian dust storm didn't take place in 2001, then it must have happened at one of those other times when Mars was especially close to the Earth. So let's hope that the current dust storm doesn't block the view of the surface of Mars for this year's observers!

Because it's true that Mars will be quite close and bright this summer and fall, isn't it?

Ann

hamilton1 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:12 am

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 5:52 am
Wasn't it in 2001 that Mars was especially close to the Earth? And lots and lots of amateurs were looking forward to the opportunity of taking sharp images of the Martian surface features? And then everything was just blotted out by the planet-wide dust storm?

You're probably thinking of 2003, when Mars was at its closest for 60,000 years. No dust storm that year and plenty of spectacular images. This year is its closest approach since then.

• Orbital period = 1.88082 yr
  Synodic period = 2.1354 yr
  Years between closest approaches ~ 15.7762 yr = 1/(1.88082^-1-2.1354^-1)

hamilton1 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:12 am

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 5:52 am Wasn't it in 2001 that Mars was especially close to the Earth? And lots and lots of amateurs were looking forward to the opportunity of taking sharp images of the Martian surface features? And then everything was just blotted out by the planet-wide dust storm?

If this ringside view of a global Martian dust storm didn't take place in 2001, then it must have happened at one of those other times when Mars was especially close to the Earth. So let's hope that the current dust storm doesn't block the view of the surface of Mars for this year's observers!

Because it's true that Mars will be quite close and bright this summer and fall, isn't it?

Ann

You're probably thinking of 2003, when Mars was at its closest for 60,000 years. No dust storm that year and plenty of spectacular images. This year is its closest approach since then.

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 1:48 pm

hamilton1 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:12 am

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 5:52 am
Wasn't it in 2001 that Mars was especially close to the Earth? And lots and lots of amateurs were looking forward to the opportunity of taking sharp images of the Martian surface features? And then everything was just blotted out by the planet-wide dust storm?

You're probably thinking of 2003, when Mars was at its closest for 60,000 years. No dust storm that year and plenty of spectacular images. This year is its closest approach since then.

I remember that opposition. That was the year that Mars was as big in the sky as the Moon!
(Haven't seen that claim this year... maybe it's a meme that's finally dying?)

APOD Robot wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 4:08 am
Mars Engulfed

Explanation: The onset of smaller "seed" storms can be seen near the Hellas basin (lower right edge of Mars) and the northern polar cap.

A similar surface view at right, taken over two months later, shows the fully developed extent of the obscuring global storm. Although this storm eventually waned, in recent days a new large dust storm has been taking hold of the red planet.

zendae1 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 4:58 pm It would be cool to make a globe lamp that is an accurate rendition of Mars (or Jupiter), with a digital download from a good source that shows accurate ongoing conditions translating to the lamp. Maybe not very doable yet, but an interesting thought anyway...

neufer wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 4:46 pm Although this storm eventually waned, in recent days a new large dust storm has been taking hold of the red planet.

MarkBour wrote: ↑Tue Jun 19, 2018 5:27 pm

zendae1 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 17, 2018 4:58 pm It would be cool to make a globe lamp that is an accurate rendition of Mars (or Jupiter), with a digital download from a good source that shows accurate ongoing conditions translating to the lamp. Maybe not very doable yet, but an interesting thought anyway...

Sky and Telescope sells one:
http://www.shopatsky.com/sky-telescope- ... XsQAvD_BwE
(which is blatant advertising, but I have no connection with Sky & Telescope. -- So do a number of other sources.)

Lighting up the globe from inside is not too hard for these companies, they do it with Earth globes, but I did not see that any of them have done this with a Mars globe, so you could be the first!

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 19, 2018 6:25 pm
Yeah, but that's just a static globe. I think he's looking for one that has an active surface which displays the current conditions.

Digital spheres are readily available these days, and are not very difficult or expensive to make, and there's a wealth of digital content available to project on them, most of it free. So the only limitation I know of in producing such a globe is the rate at which full imagery of the martian surface is updated.

MarkBour wrote: ↑Tue Jun 19, 2018 8:05 pm

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 19, 2018 6:25 pm
Yeah, but that's just a static globe. I think he's looking for one that has an active surface which displays the current conditions.

Digital spheres are readily available these days, and are not very difficult or expensive to make, and there's a wealth of digital content available to project on them, most of it free. So the only limitation I know of in producing such a globe is the rate at which full imagery of the martian surface is updated.

Ah. I have never seen anything like this. There's Pufferfish as an example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Eh44Rp4_Q .
So this with Mars weather data would be what zendae1 is talking about.