Marvelous Mars
December 2007 :
Note: This article may contain outdated information
This article was published in the December 2007 issue of The Skyscraper and likely contains some information that was pertinent only for that month. It is being provided here for historical reference only.
It all started back in 2003 when Mars did indeed make a close approach to the Earth. On August 27 of that year, Mars came as close as 34,646,418 miles. This passage was the closest it would come in 60,000 years. Practically everyone who observed Mars through our telescopes at Seagrave Observatory not only saw the southern polar ice cap, but they also were able to discern dark surface features that often elude us amateur astronomers when Mars is much further from the Earth.
The story had stated that with a certain sized telescope at a specific power/magnification, Mars would appear the same size as the Full Moon. Someone either read it and incorrectly mis-stated it, or they deliberately misrepresented the facts and the Mars hoax was born. About every two years Mars does make a close approach to the Earth. Some are closer than others.
Some folks were taken in by the hoax. Others realized that something was amiss. If Mars ever appeared that large in our sky without optical aid we'd be in deep trouble. It would make the premise of the movie "Deep Impact" seem insignificant by comparison.
So don't be fooled by this hoax again.
Though the 2007 close approach of Mars (December 19; 54,797,448 miles) will not be as good as the ones in 2003 or 2005 (43,137,588 miles on the night of October 29-30 in 2005) were, this will be the closest Mars and the Earth will be until 2016. Despite the fact that Mars will be still quite distant from the Earth, its path across the sky will take it almost directly overhead. This circumstance will keep the planet well above much of the Earth's atmospheric turbulence. As long as we have clear skies and steady seeing we will be able to coax a lot of detail from the images our telescopes provide.
If you'd like to observe Mars with your own backyard telescopes, you first must know where you can find Mars in the sky. During December, Mars will be the bright reddish/orange object residing in Gemini near Castor's right knee. By 10:00 pm Mars will be more than halfway up the eastern sky. By month's end (December 30), Mars crosses constellation boundaries and moves into Taurus the Bull.
When we observe Mars this December we will be looking at the planet nearly equator-on. The North Polar Cap (NPC) will be tilted just slightly towards the Earth. The NPC should be large since Mars' northern hemisphere is just coming out of Winter (northern hemisphere Spring begins on December 9). As time passes, an observer should be able to notice the NPC shrinking and breaking up. Mars' image will be fairly small, so one should wait for steady seeing conditions to observe as much detail as possible. Don't expect to see the South Polar Cap. It will be tilted away from our view and it would have "melted" considerably during the southern hemisphere's summer (autumn begins on December 9 in the southern hemisphere).
While the NPC should be rather apparent, the rest of the planet will appear as a rust-colored beach ball. However, several dark features can also be seen. These are the underlying rock exposed by the shifting sands during intense dust storms. The relatively small image will make it somewhat of a challenge to identify much detail and the dark surface features may be fleeting. Despite this handicap a keen-eyed observer should be able to catch a few glimpses of a dark feature like Syrtis Major or a bright area like Hellas Basin.
If you would like to be better prepared for the upcoming Martian observing experience, Mars surface maps that help identify Martian landscape features are available on the internet.
In conclusion, be patient when observing Mars. The planet's disk will be small. Wait for steady seeing conditions. Don't try observing Mars if the stars are twinkling. Take your time in observing this fascinating planetary neighbor and your efforts will be well rewarded.
If you don't own your own telescope, or the view through the one you do own is too small to see much detail, plan on visiting Seagrave Observatory (http:/www.theskyscrapers.org) on Peeptoad Road in North Scituate on any clear Saturday night (7-10pm). You can also visit Ladd Observatory (http://www.physics.brown.edu/physics/commonpages/ladd/) located on Hope Street on Providence's East Side on any clear Tuesday night (7-9pm).
Once Mars clears the treetops to the east of either of these facilities our weekly focus will be on the red planet. So dress warmly and take advantage of the views our larger telescopes can provide. Check the above web sites for any cancellation notices.
Keep your eyes to the skies.
