[BAA 00472] Mars Section: North polar dust storms

[Rick]

BAA electronic bulletin No. 00472 -- http://www.britastro.org/
Bulletin transmitted on Thu Feb 4 08:19:22 GMT 2010
(c) 2010 British Astronomical Association

Mars Section: North polar dust storms

Images taken on the night of January 29/30 by Peter Edwards, Bill Leatherbarrow, Martin Lewis and Damian Peach clearly showed the presence of a small dust storm, deep orange in colour, running from Baltia onto the southern part of the North polar cap. The feature was also imaged on the following night. Such events are quite commonly seen in spacecraft images, but they are rarely caught by amateur astronomers. They are not long-lived phenomena, and so the event cited is already over. A full review of other images on file is in progress.

Further such events may be expected as the NPC shrinks, and should be carefully recorded (and promptly reported) to the undersigned.

Dr Richard McKim, Director, 2010 February 1

[MarkS]

Where's Baltia?  Is Baltia on my Mars image?

[Mike]

Have you seen his image? ...

[MarkS]

Wow!!

[Rick]

Where's Baltia?  Is Baltia on my Mars image?

There are maps on the BAA Mars section site, here: http://www.britastro.org/mars/maps.htm