Mars: Early Approach to Opposition
“Mars still small in apparent size, weeks before the January 2025 opposition, with a dark surface marking and a bright north polar hood.”
Captured about five weeks before Mars reached opposition in January 2025, this image shows a still-modest disk with a broad dark surface marking and a bright blue-white hood over the north pole. The first of a series tracking Mars as it grew larger and brighter approaching its closest point to Earth.
Captured as luminance and RGB video sequences, derotated in WinJUPOS, stacked in AutoStakkert!3, and processed in PixInsight.
Total Exposure
~3 min video, derotated with WinJUPOS
Focal Length
4000mm
Integration
| Filter | Subs |
|---|---|
| L | 1 video (~3 min total (derotated)) |
| R | 1 video (~3 min total (derotated)) |
| G | 1 video (~3 min total (derotated)) |
| B | 1 video (~3 min total (derotated)) |
Locations
San Giuliano Milanese, Lombardy, Italy
Bortle Class 7 • 2024-12-12