Re: Fw: AstroAlert: New Dust Activity on Mars

From: Christopher Hays (hays-sf@No-Spam)
Date: Fri Jul 11 2003 - 11:51:23 MST

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    Try these, Bob:

    http://humbabe.arc.nasa.gov/MarsToday.html
     is a poster produced daily by the Center for Mars Exploration at NASA's
    Ames Research Center. The updated poster depicts current conditions on
    Mars and its relationship to Earth in six panels.

    http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/07/index.html
    The most reccent picture is of part of a dark-floored valley system in
    northern Newton Crater was acquired earlier this week on July 6, 2003
    (shadows from sunlight visible)

    http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~harlow/weather/mars.html
    purports to be giving current weather data and forecast for Mars. It is
    forecasting sunny skies on Mars for today through Tuesday, but its
    source "Wethernews Inc." is somewhat suspect.

    http://www.fas.org/mars/990811-mars.htm
    Seems to be getting good current data and quotes Michael Malin,
    principal investigator for the Mars Global Surveyor camera:

        storm clouds
        brewing over Mars' north polar ice cap

        heavy winds are causing
        movements of Martian sand dunes

        dust devils - spinning vortices of wind that arise when the ground
        is heated. they can be eight kilometers tall And they're scattered
        over many thousands of square kilometers with many dozens of these
        dust devils early in the afternoon

    Christopher

    Bob Jardine wrote:

    >Does anyone have any newer news about this?
    >
    >Has anyone observed much detail on Mars recently, or is it obscured?
    >
    >I've been unable to see much, and I don't know whether to attribute
    >that to bad seeing, bad eyes, or a global dust storm.
    >
    >I'm considering a trip south for the Mars Opposition in late August,
    >but I'd rather not commit any bucks if it is just going to be like
    >2001.
    >
    >I realize that weather forecasting is tricky (even on Earth, much less
    >Mars!!!), and I'm not looking for perfection or guarantees, but does
    >anyone have any advice about the best way to get info on this?
    >
    >Thanks, Bob J.
    >
    >
    >--- Bob Czerwinski <bczerwin@No-Spam> wrote:
    >
    >
    >>Uh-oh. Hope this is just a short-term event.
    >>
    >>Courtesy of _Sky_&_Telescope_ ...
    >>
    >>==================================================================
    >>This Is SKY & TELESCOPE's AstroAlert for Planetary Activity
    >>==================================================================
    >>
    >>Veteran Mars observer Donald C. Parker reports that significant
    >>changes have taken place on Mars in the last 48 hours. "I'd call it a
    >>dust cloud, not a dust storm," he advises. "Let's hope it stays put!"
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >
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