Sure is nice...

by Bill Arnett


Not a bad night .... for January! Damn, it's cold; only 37 F! And the seeing is not great but I did get a decent look at Mars for a while. Acidalia and the north polar cap were obvious as were some white areas on the equatorial parts of the limb which I interpreted as clouds (though one might have been Hellas). Also saw a large dark feature south of Acidalia which is probably Mare Erythraeum and its two "bays". South of there I thought I caught a glimpse of a white region from time to time; that would be Argyre. Mars is fun when it's close to opposition! I guess I'll wait up a little longer and see if the seeing improves as it gets closer to the meridian.