vkastronomy.com - Astrophotography Weblog
Mars
Mars comes into good view every second year. The 2003 opposition was a low one for us Northerners, but 2005 is completely different. The angular dimension isn't as large as 2005 was, but it gets a lot higher than in 2003 which makes observations a lot easier. Here are my results of Mars imaging to the day. I also contribute my images to URSA section of Moons, Planets and Comets . Check out also their Mars 2005 gallery to see some fantastic work other Finnish amateurs have done.
Most of my images have two versions from the same moment. The left one is taken using IR/UV Cut filter which cuts all the infrared and ultraviolet light out from the image. This represents the true appearance of the planet when looked visually. The right one is composed of the left one and one taken with IR pass filter, which lets infrared radiation pass the filter and blocks the visual Wavelengths. Mars presents significantly higher contrast in infrared and usually seeing is noticeably better in infrared wavelengths.
