How-to workshop for observing and sketching the planet Mars presented at Green Bank Star Quest 13

1. Green Bank Star Quest 13
Presented by
Michael Rosolina

2.  To improve your observing skills
 To create a visual record
 To exercise your creativity

3.  Huygens
 Maraldi
 Dawes
 Schiaparelli
 Antoniadi
 Lowell
These are just a few of the many past astronomers who were keen observers
and who sketched their observations of Mars:

4. Huygens
A pioneer in the mid-17th century
was Christiaan Huygens , who made these
observations of Mars
Source: The Exploration of Mars
By Werner von Braun & Chesley Bonestell

5. Schiaparelli’s 1877 Map
Source: cseligman.com

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. The Red Planet

13. Mars
19 Dec. 2007
0430-0500 UT
10” Reflector
Mag: 360x
S: Antoniadi II
Courtesy of
Thomas Mccague

14. Graphite pencil and
color pencil on white
sketch paper

15. Mars from
Provence,
France
Courtesy of
Michel Deconinck

16. Courtesy of
Michel Deconinck

17. Mars
2 May 2016 3h UT
Courtesy of
Michel Deconinck

18. Courtesy of
Thomas Mccague

19. Courtesy of
Thomas Mccague

23. What do I use to make my sketch?

24. 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

25. 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.

26. 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)

27. Observing log
M Rosolina
Remember,
everyone starts
somewhere…

28. 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.

29. We will use the following sketch to
practice your sketching technique…

30. Courtesy of
Thomas Mccague

31. Copyright 2016 Michael Rosolina
All contributor images are the
property of their respective owners
and are used here with permission