💾 Archived View for koyu.space › mrael2_obsv › sessions › 2018 › 2018-08-03.gmi captured on 2023-09-28 at 16:18:06. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
⬅️ Previous capture (2022-06-03)
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Date: 2018-08-03
Time: 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Seeing: II - III
Transparency: 6
Object: Mars
Just a few days after opposition, Mars was indeed much bigger than it was two years ago. This is the closest opposition since 2003, and I was impressed by the size of the planetary disk at 277x.
Unfortunately, a planet-wide dust storm has been covering Mars for several weeks now, and I saw almost zero detail!!!
However, a polar ice cap was very prominent, and I'm glad I could see this unique feature of the Martian surface.
I have been following the movement of Mars in the early mornings before sunrise for months now. Then as well as now, it has been a magnificent sight along the ecliptic (with the unaided eye).