[Launch Alert] Mars Dust Storm

Sat Oct 22 15:16:51 EDT 2005

                             LAUNCH ALERT

			            Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		         E-mail: kd6nrp at earthlink.net
	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info

				          2005 October 22 (Saturday) 12:15 PDT
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			         MARS DUST STORM

Just weeks before a close approach of Earth and Mars, a major dust
storm has developed on the Red Planet. The storm erupted about five
days ago in the Chryse area and is reportedly growing very quickly.

Veteran planetary imager Don Parker told Launch Alert that as of
Friday, the storm was centered on central meridian (CM) 45° degrees
and covered an area of 2500 x 2500 miles. He said that the conditions
on Mars are right for a major dust storm and we should know in a
couple of days if the storm will become global.

For a detailed view of the event, you'll need a good telescope.
According to Parker, it should be visible in a scope with an aperture
as small as 6 inches - perhaps smaller if you're an experienced
observer. He recommends using a magnification of at least 250X and a
light red or orange filter.

Assuming the phenomenon doesn't become global and remains centered on
CM 45°, the center of the storm will cross the Martian disk at the
following times:

				Time			Time
	Date			(PDT)			(UTC)
	------ 		-----			-----

	OCT 23		01:20			08:20
	OCT 24		01:55			08:55
	OCT 25		02:35			09:35
	OCT 26		03:10			10:10
	OCT 27		03:45			10:45
	OCT 28		04:20			11:20
	OCT 29		04:57			11:57

If you don't have access to a telescope, you may be able to monitor
the storm using the unaided eye or a camera.

In 2001 the Earth and Mars had a similar close approach. Over the
course of several days, a dust storm appeared and shrouded the entire
planet. Using only the naked eye, I observed Mars from my patio and
saw its color change from rusty orange to beige.

You may be also to record Martian color changes due to the dust storm
with your digital or film camera. Use an ISO setting of 100 to 200 or
a similar speed film. Mount the camera on a tripod, aim it at the Red
Planet, open the lens' aperture to f/2.8 to f/4, and make a series of
30, 60, and 90-second exposures.

Take an identical set of photos several days apart. The resulting
images will contain Mars trails caused by the Earth's rotation and
may reveal color changes.

Of course, if you're a beginning observer, you'll you need to know
where to look. The planet resembles a bright orange-yellow "star" and
rises in the east at approximately 19:10 PDT. It's visible all night
as it crosses the sky and is favorably placed for observation in the
west at dawn.

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			           TIME FORMAT

All times in this newsletter are given in Pacific Time using a 24-hour
format based on military time. Under this system, regular time is
expressed as follows:
                                            24-hour
		             Regular Time       Format
                    ---------------------   -------
		        12:00 a.m. (midnight)    00:00
		        6:00  a.m.		   06:00
		        12:00 p.m. (noon)        12:00
                    6:00  p.m.               18:00

No distinction is made between Pacific Standard Time and Pacific
Daylight Time.

For assistance in converting military time to regular time, go to:

	http://www.spacearchive.info/military.htm

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