Mars is currently a dawn object, as well as being quite distant. From my location, with light pollution in the lower sky, it is only just starting to become readily visible in the early hours. For this observation, I set the telescope up at around 6am to observe Mars in Leo, relatively high in the south. While still quite distant – not reaching opposition until 3rd Mar 2012 (directly opposite the sun in the sky and brightest for viewing) – Mars does not disappoint. Although distinctly smaller than Jupiter, the planet appears a clear rusty red, even to the naked eye. Through a telescope at either x159, but particularly at x312, the red colour appears to be mottled, and to my surprise the polar ice cap in the north was clearly visible. Mars also displayed a gibbous phase, with the far east side of the planet being in shadow. Magnitude (reference http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com) currently around +0.6, with apparent diameter of 7.5″. Compare this with earlier Jupiter observations at opposition (Oct 29th 2011) with a magnitude of -2.8 and diameter almost 7 times larger of 49.6″.
Welcome to my astrophotos and observations from my back garden in St. Albans, Hertfordshire
