This stunning video shows the best global map of Mars shot from Earth’s surface
There are plenty of epic astrophotos that were taken from Earth. Sometimes even from a photographerâs backyard. Astronomer Jean-Luc Dauvergne visited Pic du Midi observatory in the French Pyrenees and took some photos of Mars. As a result, he created âthe best global map of Marsâ shot from the surface of our planet.
Pic du Midi Observatory has four telescopes. The construction of the observatory began way back in 1878, but due to financial difficulties, it wasnât finished before 1908. For his global map, Jean-Luc used the 1.06 m (42 in) telescope in the observatory. It was installed in 1963 and funded by NASA. At the time, it was used to take detailed photos of the Moonâs surface in preparation for the Apollo missions.
Jean-Luc used the chance when Mars was in opposition this fall to take his photos. He spent six nights at the observatory, but it took him the additional ten days to process the images. The astronomer said that Pic du Midi is still âone of the best [telescopes] in the world to study planetary surfaces in the visible part of the spectrum.â
You can check out Jean-Lucâs video above, and youâll find more of his work on his YouTube channel and Twitter.