Mars after the 2012 Closest Approach

This image of Mars was taken 16 days after the March 5th closest approach to the Earth using the ATMoB’s 6-inch, f/15 Schupmann telescope. At this time Mars was 13.4-arcseconds in diameter (Maximum diameter was 13.9-arcseconds). The northern polar cap can be seen at the top of this image (North is up). The seeing was good at the beginning of the imaging session but started to degrade a few hours later. Telescope assistance was provided by John Blomquist.

Philips ToUcam Pro II - PCVC 840K, 640x480, IR Rejection Filter, Televue 2.5X Powermate (imaging at f/37.5),  6-inch Schupmann telescope, Losmandy G-11 EQ mount. Processed with Registax 5.1 and Adobe Photoshop. Ed Knight Observatory, ATMoB Clubhouse, Westford, MA, 21 March 2012.