Nice sketch! I thought I'd gotten good detail, but you pulled out more.
I just wish I could live to see the first human on Mars, but this doesn't
look probable.
On a lighter note, I just saw the Animation Festival at the Castro Theater,
and one of the shorts was a 1957-style "documentary" on Mars, speculating on
the strange life that might live there. Think Bonestell on acid. A
wonderful period piece. It opened with a view of the "Classical Mars"
people of my age grew up with, the one with the canals. Almost worth the $8 for
that short alone.
mam
Mark Wagner wrote:
>
> Its worse than you think....
>
> http://www201.pair.com/resource/resource-intl/mars.09.14.03.jpg
>
> It almost looks to me as if there is a dark limb on the right side.
>
> At 9/14/2003, you wrote:
> >OMG, Wagner looking at planets, what next? The moon?!?!??!!! AAAaahhh.
> >The world is stopping, the Big One is coming, the end of life as we know
> >it.
> >
> >Doomed I tell you DOOMED..........
> >
> >---------
> >Phil Chambers [ptchamb@No-Spam] (S.F. Bay Area - Calif. USA)
> >
> >On Sun, 14 Sep 2003, Mark Wagner wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > I set up my 10" f/5.7 scope in the backyard before doing the BBQ. Let is
> > > cool down nicely, tweaked the collimation. Ate dinner, fixed a coffee and
> > > went out back.
> > >
> > > Mars, of course.
> > >
> > > 20 Nagler, 72x. Steady with detail.
> > > 12 Nagler, 120x. Good detail. Rock steady.
> > > 7 Nagler, 207x. NIce detail. Holding up very well.
> > > Put in the 2x Barlow. 414x, more detail. I could do a drawing, the dark
> > > markings are so well defined. Very good seeing snaps to exquisite. Magic.
> > >
> > > I can't help but look at the foreign world and think of the first human,
> > > maybe one of my kid's friends, maybe your's, setting foot up there. Nobody
> > > has been there.
> > >
> > > I keep watching. Ochre, the color of those soft "peanut" shaped candies...
> > > circus peanuts. But with banana bad spots on it.
> > >
> > > I am amazed.
> > >
> > > The southern polar cap is doing a disappearing act. Magic. I can watch it
> > > through this weird collection of aluminum struts, rods and several pieces
> > > of glass.
> > >
> > > I'm telling you, it is magic. It is fun.
> > >
> > > I watch for a while more. Subtle features - a bay of orange in the dark
> > > river crossing the planet. Smaller dark pieces extending along parallel to
> > > the main feature. Faded dark on the limb and up toward the southern ice
> > > cap. Haze on the northern one.
> > >
> > > I'm so glad I set up the scope.
> > >
> > > I look around.
> > >
> > > Pegasus is up.
> > >
> > > At 414x I point at M15. Find it in, well, the finder - I can see it at
> > > 9x. Center it then in the eyepiece. It is there, dim. Handful of stars.
> > >
> > > I cup my hands around the eyepiece and look. Stars begin filling the
> > > field. Suddenly they are everywhere. The core is dense. The globular is
> > > beautiful. Stars are everywhere. No counting them
> > >
> > > From my celestial backyard to the halo of my galaxy in 10 seconds.
> > >
> > > It is magic.
> > >
> > > I hope some of you are out tonight. It is a fine night.
> > >
> > > Going back out to count features on Mars.
> > >
> > > There is something magical to this.
> > >
> > > Mark
> > >
> > >
> > >
