This CCD image of Mars was obtained on April 1, 1997 (Ls=98.36, De=23.02, Dia.=13.91") at 03:10 UT (CM=250.6) using a 16-inch (41-cm) f/5 Newtonian reflector coupled with a Celestron PixCel 255 CCD camera in red light. The North Polar Cap (NPC) appears small and very bright to extremely bright (8-9/10) surrounded by a thin, dark (3/10) collar with the Lemuria-Panchaia-Uchronia-Utopia-Cecropia region appearing dark to dusky (3-4/10) south of it. A dark (3/10), curvilinear Casius appears to project from the southern border of Utopia. Nodus Alcyonius appears dusky (4/10), and elongated Sp. Casius. Hecates lacus appears as a small, dark (3/10) nodule along the Np. border of Elysium (7-8/10) whereas the Hyblaeus Extension appears dark (3/10) over its Nf. border (just p. the CM). A dark (3/10, "beak-like" Tritonis Sinus appears to project from a dark (3/10) Mare Cimmerium. A bright (7/10) Hesperia appears to separate Mare Cimmerium from a dark (3/10) Mare Tyrrhenum. Syrtis Major and Syrtis Minor appear dark (3/10) as well f. the CM.
(Legend: N.=north, S.=south, p.=preceding, f.=following,
Np.=north-preceding, Nf.=north-following, Sp.=south-preceding, Sf.=south-following,
MLH=morning limb haze, ELH=evening limb haze, and SLH=southern limb haze)