BARBADOS MISSION REPORT 2014.

 APRIL 14th - 29th, 2014

With the telescope - Barbados, April 2014.

Once again i headed to Barbados in April of 2014 in hope of obtaining detailed planetary images. The main focus of this particular trip was the opposition of Mars that occurred in April. The reasonable angular diameter of 15" and high altitude of the planet from the island promised some detailed views and images. Jupiter as also available in the evenings at sundown for a brief spell, and this period coincided with HST observations of the planet, specifically the GRS region. Saturn was also well placed later in the night, being around 6 weeks from opposition. The Moon would also be available during the last quarter period placed high in the sky.

Overall the trip was again a great success. The dry season weather on the island provided some very good nights, though perhaps more cloudiness than i would have expected for the time of year. Seeing was in general again mostly excellent. I succeeded in obtaining some of my most detailed Mars and Saturn images to date. Jupiter was also productive, though being 6 months past opposition was now to small in angular size for extremely detailed images,

Once again a big thank you to Eric Norris for his help and hospitality!

© Damian Peach, Dec 2014.


Mars in 2014 from Barbados


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Jupiter on April 27th, 2014. Good seeing conditions. The final image of the apparition.


 

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Jupiter on April 26th, 2014. Good seeing conditions. Oval BA is seen going off the disk.


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Jupiter on April 25th, 2014. Good seeing conditions. The GRS can be seen again with prominent SSTC white ovals to the south.


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Jupiter on April 23rd, 2014. Good seeing conditions. The GRS and following turbulent region is well seen.


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Jupiter on April 21st, 2014. Good seeing conditions. TOval BA is well placed showing some faint orange colouration.


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Jupiter on April 20th, 2014. Good seeing conditions. The GRS can be seen just appearing over the limb.


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Jupiter on April 18th, 2014. Very good seeing conditions. The GRS is well placed and dense in colour.


 

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Jupiter on April 16th, 2014. Good seeing conditions. The NNTZ LRS is well placed showing its familiar orange colouration.


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Jupiter on April 15th, 2014. Good seeing conditions. The NNTZ LRS is well placed showing its familiar orange colouration.


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Jupiter on April 14th, 2014. Good seeing conditions. Europa and shadow in transit.


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Jupiter on April 13th, 2014. Very good seeing conditions. Callisto is seen in transit across the disk with the GRS just above.


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Saturn, April 27th, 2014. Excellent seeing. Small storms can be seen on the planet.


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Saturn, April 26th, 2014. Excellent seeing. Small storms can be seen on the planet.


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Saturn, April 24th, 2014. Excellent seeing. Small storms can be seen on the planet.


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Saturn, April 22nd, 2014. Excellent seeing. Small storms can be seen on the planet.


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Saturn, April 21st, 2014. Excellent seeing. Note the small dark spot visible on the planet - a remnant of the great 2011 storm outbreak.


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Saturn, April 18th, 2014. Excellent seeing. Small storms can be seen on the planet.


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Saturn, April 17th, 2014.  Average seeing. Note the small dark spot visible on the planet - a remnant of the great 2011 storm outbreak.


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Saturn, April 15th, 2014. Excellent seeing. Small storms can be seen on the planet.


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Saturn, April 14th, 2014. Excellent seeing. Small storms can be seen on the planet.


Mars on April 28th, 2014. Diam=14.73". Excellent seeing conditions. Hellas bright with frost and clouds at top. Elysium orographic clouds bright on the evening limb. Outlying NPC fragments surrounding the cap.


Mars on April 27th, 2014. Diam=14.79". Excellent seeing conditions. Hellas bright with frost and clouds at top. Elysium orographic clouds bright on the evening limb. Outlying NPC fragments surrounding the cap. Syrtis Major prominent near centre.


Mars on April 26th, 2014. Diam=14.86". Excellent seeing conditions. Hellas bright with frost and clouds at top. Elysium orographic clouds bright on the evening limb. Outlying NPC fragments surrounding the cap.


Mars on April 24th, 2014. Diam=14.94". Excellent seeing conditions. The Hellas basin appears bright at top filled with frost and clouds. Bright clouds over Chryse and Mare Acidalium. Syrtis Major is prominent showing albedo variations.


Mars on April 22nd, 2014. Diam=15.02". Good seeing conditions. Extensive clouds and hazes across the planet. Mare Acidalium and Sinus Meridiani are prominent. Note the bright clouds over Syrtis Major on the left side of the disk.


Mars on April 21st, 2014. Diam=15.05". Excellent seeing conditions. Extensive clouds and hazes across the planet. Mare Acidalium and Sinus Meridiani are prominent. Note the bright blue clouds over Syrtis Major becoming more intense as they approach the limb.


 

Mars on April 20th, 2014. Diam=15.08". Good seeing conditions. Extensive clouds and hazes across the planet. Mare Acidalium and Sinus Meridiani are prominent. Note the bright clouds over Syrtis Major on the left side of the disk.


Mars on April 19th, 2014. Diam=15.10". Excellent seeing conditions. Extensive clouds and hazes across the planet. Mare Acidalium and Sinus Meridiani are prominent. Note the bright clouds over Syrtis Major on the left side of the disk.


Mars on April 18th, 2014. Diam=15.12". Good seeing conditions. The giant volcanoes appear near the limb shrouded in bright clouds. The north polar cap shows the dark Chasma Borealis rift while the far southern basin Argyre is covered in mist. 


Mars on April 17th, 2014. Diam=15.13". Good seeing conditions. The giant volcanoes appear near the limb shrouded in bright clouds. The north polar cap shows the dark Chasma Borealis rift while the far southern basin Argyre is covered in mist. 


Mars on April 16th, 2014. Diam=15.15". Fair seeing conditions. Tharsis and the giant volcanoes are well presented shrouded in bright clouds. The north polar cap shows the dark Chasma Borealis rift along with the fragmented NPC outlier, Olympia.


Mars on April 15th, 2014. Diam=15.16". Fair seeing conditions. Tharsis and the giant volcanoes are well presented shrouded in bright clouds. The north polar cap shows the dark Chasma Borealis rift along with the fragmented NPC outlier, Olympia.


Mars on April 14th, 2014. Diam=15.16". Excellent seeing conditions. Tharsis and the giant volcanoes are well presented shrouded in bright clouds. The north polar cap shows the dark Chasma Borealis rift along with the fragmented NPC outlier, Olympia.


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Valles Alpes 


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Lunar crater Tycho


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Sinus Iridum


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Lunar crater Schiller 


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Lunar crater Scheiner


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Rupes Recta 


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Lunar crater Pythagoras 


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Lunar crater Plato 


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Lunar crater Pitatus 


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Lunar crater Moretus 


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Lunar crater Hainzel 


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Rima Hadley 


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Lunar crater Copernicus 


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Lunar crater Clavius 


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Lunar crater Blancanus 


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Lunar crater Arzachel


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The Aristarchus Plateau 


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Lunar crater Archimedes

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© All images copyright Damian Peach. No images used on this page may be used. amended, or distributed without the consent of the author.