Mars is shown here 10 days before its 2020 opposition with Earth.  The disk has an apparent diameter of 22.5 arc-seconds.  The view is inverted with South at the top of the image.  The planet's Meridiani Planum region is prominent in the center of the image. The South polar ice cap is seen at the top of the planetary disk.  Some light atmospheric haze is visible at the SE limb edge of the planet.

Image Details:

•  
  • Instrument: Vixen VMC260L Cassegrain @ f/23 (3000mm native focal length with 2x Televue Powermate Image Amplifier for 6000mm total focal length)
  • Mount: Ioptron AZ-Mount Pro Alt-Azimuth GoTo Mount
  • Camera: ZWO ASI120MC-S color video camera  
  • Image Scale:  0.13 arc-seconds/pixel
  • Filters: Lumicon IR/UV Cutoff Filter
  • Exposure: 8-bit .Ser files, 2000 frames, shot @ 60 frames per second)
  • Software: FireCapture V.2.6 capture software, Auto-Stakkert V.3, WinJupos 11.1.5, Registax Wavelets Ver. 6, Topaz Labs DeNoise AI, Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI, final processing in Adobe Photoshop CS6
  • Location: Little Rock, AR., El. 350ft
    Date:  05:09 GMT October 3rd, 2020

Mars is shown here 5 days before its 2020 opposition with Earth.  The view is inverted with South at the top of the image and East to the right.  The disk has an apparent diameter of 22.6 arc-seconds.  The planet's Syrtis Major region is very prominent just left of center.  Some structure can be seen in the South polar ice cap at top of planetary disk.  Hellas Planitia is also seen in-between Syrtis Major and the South polar ice cap.

Image Details:

•  
  • Instrument: Vixen VMC260L Cassegrain @ f/23 (3000mm native focal length with 2x Televue Powermate Image Amplifier for 6000mm total focal length)
  • Mount: Ioptron AZ-Mount Pro Alt-Azimuth GoTo Mount
  • Camera: ZWO ASI120MC-S color video camera  
  • Image Scale:  0.13 arc-seconds/pixel
  • Filters: Lumicon IR/UV Cutoff Filter
  • Exposure: 8-bit .Ser files, 2000 frames, shot @ 60 frames per second)
  • Software: FireCapture V.2.6 capture software, Auto-Stakkert V.3, WinJupos 11.1.5, Registax Wavelets Ver. 6, Topaz Labs DeNoise AI, Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI, final processing in Adobe Photoshop CS6
  • Location: Little Rock, AR., El. 350ft
    Date:  04:48 GMT October 8th, 2020

Mars is shown here 4 days past its 2020 opposition with Earth.  The view is inverted here with South at the top.  The disk has an apparent diameter of 22.0 arc-seconds.  The planet's Terra Cimmeria region is prominent stretching across the central region of the planet.  The Earth's change in orbital angle in relation to Mars orbital poisition in space is evident from the more oblique viewing angle of the South polar ice cap. The blue haze of Mars' atmosphere can also be detected on the eastern limb areas of the disk (right edge of the planet).

Image Details:

•  
  • Instrument: Vixen VMC260L Cassegrain @ f/23 (3000mm native focal length with 2x Televue Powermate Image Amplifier for 6000mm total focal length)
  • Mount: Ioptron AZ-Mount Pro Alt-Azimuth GoTo Mount
  • Camera: ZWO ASI120MC-S color video camera  
  • Image Scale:  0.13 arc-seconds/pixel
  • Filters: Lumicon IR/UV Cutoff Filter
  • Exposure: 8-bit .Ser files, 2000 frames, shot @ 60 frames per second)
  • Software: FireCapture V.2.6 capture software, Auto-Stakkert V.3, WinJupos 11.1.5, Registax Wavelets Ver. 6, Topaz Labs DeNoise AI, Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI, final processing in Adobe Photoshop CS6
  • Location: Little Rock, AR., El. 350ft
    Date:  04:27 GMT October 17th, 2020

Mars is shown here 3 weeks past its 2020 opposition with Earth.  The view is inverted with South at the top.  The disk has an apparent diameter of 19.3 arc-seconds.  The speed of the planet's escape away from Earth is becoming apparent in the decreasing size of the planetary disk.  The planet's Aurorae Planum, Valles Marineris, Sinai Planum and Solis Planum regions are shown here stretching across the central portion of the planet.  There are wispy haze clouds now visible along the Northern limb (bottom) edge of the planet.

Image Details:

•  
  • Instrument: Vixen VMC260L Cassegrain @ f/23 (3000mm native focal length with 2x Televue Powermate Image Amplifier for 6000mm total focal length)
  • Mount: Ioptron AZ-Mount Pro Alt-Azimuth GoTo Mount
  • Camera: ZWO ASI120MC-S color video camera  
  • Image Scale:  0.13 arc-seconds/pixel
  • Filters: Lumicon IR/UV Cutoff Filter
  • Exposure: 8-bit .Ser files, 2000 frames, shot @ 60 frames per second)
  • Software: FireCapture V.2.6 capture software, Auto-Stakkert V.3, WinJupos 11.1.5, Registax Wavelets Ver. 6, Topaz Labs DeNoise AI, Topaz Labs Gigapixel AI, final processing in Adobe Photoshop CS6
  • Location: Little Rock, AR., El. 350ft
    Date:  04:59 GMT November 4th, 2020