Planet Gallery - Mars

A very detailed image of Mars from three days before the 2003 opposition. This was captured in the first hour of 24th August and demonstrates the dramatic change in the visible size of Mars since the May image below. Syrtis Major is just visible on the evening terminator (left of image) with the south polar hood visible at the top.
The first detailed image of Mars from the 2003 opposition. This was captured during May 2003, well before the closest approach of Mars to Earth for 60,000 years in August. Syrtis Major is on the evening terminator and Sinus Meridiani is just rotating round the limb, with the south polar hood visible at the top.
A high resolution view of Mars on 11th January 2002, many months after Mars' June 2001 opposition. With an angular diameter of only 6 arc-seconds, this provides a nice demonstration of results achievable with the 50cm reflector (used here at an aperture of 20cm and effective focal length of 8 metres) with the CCD camera.

MARS from May to December 2001

A sequence of images of Mars captured by Chris Proctor at the TBGS observatory between May and December 2001.

Opposition was on June 13th with closest approach on June 21st. This opposition was notable for a global dust storm which lasted for several months. From the TBGS Observatory the storm was first seen as a cloud of bright dust on the left (west) limb of the 1st July image. By 8th July it had almost completely obscured the surface markings and the surface rapidly became completely hidden. Only in October did the dust settle out enough for obvious surface markings to reappear, marking the end of the dust storm.

(click on image for full scale version)

MARS at opposition in 1999

Two photographs of the 1999 opposition of Mars taken with the 50 cm reflector at the TBGS Observatory. The left hand picture shows Mars three days before opposition on 28th April 1999. The right hand picture was taken nearly two months later on 18th June 1999. The greater distance and gibbous phase of the planet as it receded from opposition is clearly visible.