Green Bank Star Quest 13
Presented byMichael Rosolina
To improve your observing skills
To create a visual record
To exercise your creativity
Huygens
Maraldi
Dawes
Schiaparelli
Antoniadi
Lowell
These are just a few of the many past astronomers who were keen observersand who sketched their observations of Mars:
Huygens
A pioneer in the mid-17th centurywas Christiaan Huygens , who made theseobservations of Mars
Source: The Exploration of MarsBy Werner von Braun & Chesley Bonestell
Schiaparelli’s 1877 Map
Source: cseligman.com
Antoniadi
By the 19th and early 20th
century, improved telescopes were allowing skilled observers to make even more detailed sketches of celestial objects.
Source: The Planet Mars by William Sheehan
What to look for when observing Mars
Classic albedo features
Polar caps and hoods
Orographic clouds
Limb arcs and morning and evening clouds and hazes
Blue clouds
Dust
The Use of Filters
Red filters improve contrast and reveal dust
Green filters show ground fog and ice
Blue filters show atmospheric clouds
Neutral density/variable polarizing filters improve contrast
See Sky & Telescope July 2016 issue for more filter info
The Areocentric Viewpoint
Central Meridian (CM): the Martian longitude crossing the center of the disk at any given time
Longitude of the Sun (Ls): Identifies the seasons—Ls 0 degrees is the vernal equinox in the north and Ls 180 degrees is the northern autumnal equinox
Declination of Earth (De): Indicates how high in the Martian sky the Earth is north (positive) or south (negative) of the equator
Telescopic Observations
o Any scope will work but more aperture will usually yield better resolution
o Use as high a magnification as the seeing will support
o Importance of good seeing
o Importance of training the eye to see detail
What makes a good astro sketch?
Record what you see—not what you would like to see
Include information such as instrument used, magnification, and field of view (FOV)
Include time and date (UT), cardinal directions, seeing, transparency, altitude of object, and any other relevant information
Add any other notes you feel are pertinent to your observation
The Red Planet
Mars
19 Dec. 20070430-0500 UT10” Reflector Mag: 360xS: Antoniadi II
Courtesy ofThomas Mccague
Graphite pencil andcolor pencil on whitesketch paper
Mars fromProvence,
France
Courtesy ofMichel Deconinck
Courtesy of Michel Deconinck
Mars2 May 2016 3h UT
Courtesy ofMichel Deconinck
Courtesy of Thomas Mccague
Courtesy ofThomas Mccague
What do I use to make my sketch?
Basic Tools for Sketching
drawing pencils, pens, color pencils, Conte’ crayon, charcoal, pastels, chalk
sketching paper, copy paper, black paper, color paper, textured paper, waterproof paper
templates, blending stumps, erasers, eraser shield, sharpener
clipboard, red light, white light, table, chair
Computer processing is a relatively new tool that can be used very effectively to enhance and even create astro sketches.
Digitizing your work allows you to present and share it with the global
community of amateur astronomers.
Google these Resources
Mars Previewer II
S&T’s Mars Profiler (free login required)
Jeff Beish’s Mars Observers Café (ALPO Mars Section
Communications in Mars Observations (CMO)
Observing logM Rosolina
Remember, everyone starts somewhere…
We’ve looked at some of the long, rich history of astro sketching.
We’ve seen some prime examples of sketching at its best.
We’ve discussed sketching tools and techniques.
And we’ve learned that sketching not only leaves you with a visual record of your observation…
But most importantly, it trains your eye and improves your observing skills.
Now it’s time for a little hands-on practice.
We will use the following sketch to practice your sketching technique…
Courtesy ofThomas Mccague
Copyright 2016 Michael Rosolina
All contributor images are theproperty of their respective ownersand are used here with permission
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