This animation captures an hour of Mars’ rotation, offering a rare glimpse into the planet’s ever-changing face. With a rotation period of 24.7 hours—remarkably close to Earth’s—Mars reveals its distinctive surface features in motion. The prominent carbon dioxide ice cap in the north stands out, while the planet’s thin atmosphere scatters light, producing subtle blue hues along the limb. Over the Elysium Mons region, delicate cloud formations drift, creating an almost three-dimensional effect as they shift with the planet’s rotation.

Captured from Murcia, Spain, this detailed sequence highlights the anticipation of Mars' closest approach, a moment that comes only once every two years. The animation showcases not just the planet’s geological diversity but also the dynamic nature of its weather patterns, making it a mesmerizing target for planetary observation.

This map rotation is approximately 13 of Mars's 23.5 hrs rotation.

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Meade 10" Newtonian EQ. Starfinder series

5x Powermate

Copyright: John Cox