Greetings...

No telescope here, but I got up early this morning and looked with
binoculars. No surface detail, but it looked like it was in a gibbous
phase.

You will love the cool astronomical downloads at www.fourmilab.ch.
You must get Home Planet.

I have heard no SW host mention the approach of Mars yet (I'm on topic
now).

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 22:06:02 GMT, Its (The Dawn
Soliloquy) wrote:

Mars, not Texe Marrs, ( http://www.texemarrs.com) but the real thing,
http://www.nasm.si.edu/ceps/rpif/img/mars/mars2.gif and
http://www.nasm.si.edu/ceps/rpif/mars/mars.html

Anyway, as radio waves, including shortwave, travel through space to Mars and
beyond, then of course this post is on topic.

Since the apparition of Mars this August is going to be better than it's been
in recorded history, http://www.space.com/spacewatch/mars...ew_021108.html
have any of this group's posters taken the time to observe it?

Using a 60MM refractor, 1 ¼ eyepiece, yielding about 130 power, (900 mm/7mm
telescope/eyepiece) I am able to see dark areas on the surface, albeit very
small. I am also able to easily discern the polar ice (dry ice) cap. That is,
able to see it at about 3:00 AM Eastern, when it has risen far enough to
permit relatively clean viewing clear of thick atmosphere at the horizon.

Other than the excoriation that will ensue about the inappropriateness of this
post, does anyone in this group observe the planets, (Amateur or Professional
Astronomers) and are there any shortwave radio related shows concerning the
approaching apparition?

Regards.

Never say never.
Nothing is absolute.