Want to know more ? For more about Mars , Dr . Reynolds suggests visiting this links :
to look as large as the Moon as seen by Earth … Mars would have to be a lot closer for it to look that big . The Moon ’ s average distance is some 238,900 miles . For Mars to look that big , the Red Planet would be about 500,000 miles away . For this to be true , some scenarios would mean that Mars is orbiting Earth , has a new orbit much closer to the Sun or is no longer in its orbit and is moving through the Solar System . The chances for an Earth-Mars collision in this case ? Well , let ’ s not think about that one – for now ! Mars will be in opposition July 27 with closest approach to Earth on July 31 . But do not – and you should not – wait until July 27 to begin observing Mars . First , look at the vivid color . Even though Mars is called The Red Planet , it is more of an orange-brown to me . Some have referred to the color as butterscotch . However The Butterscotch Planet just does not sound right to me . I remember my first telescope view of Mars when I was 11 years old in March 1965 . It was not a great opposition – and my small telescope wasn ’ t very good either . In fact my first telescope was awful ! Mars looked like a fuzzy orange-brown disk through my telescope . But I could see the color , and could tell it was not a star . This summer even small telescopes will show the Martian disk . Start with low magnification or power with your telescope . Make sure you have a good focus , that Mars appears the sharpest possible . I will often first focus on a star or the Moon to make certain I have the best focus possible . Now look at Mars – not just a sudden peak ; really look at it ! You will get instances of clear air which will give you momentary wonderful views of our neighbor . The best view of Mars that you will have is when the planet is higher in your sky . When Mars is close to the horizon , you are looking through thicker air . If you live in a city and are surrounded by houses and building , heat off of these structures will also interfere with your best views of Mars or for that matter any object . Go to a higher-magnification eyepiece . Again , check your focus first . Again , look at Mars . Are you seeing any surface features ? Are the polar caps visible ? These white features always seem to stand out first for me . You cannot miss the Martian polar caps . In our Solar System , two planets have this polar cap characteristic : Mars and Earth . The Martian polar caps change shape as Mars goes through its season changes . And the Martian polar caps are made of frozen carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) with underlying water ices . You might have seen frozen carbon dioxide . We often call it dry ice ; it
Sky ’ s Up
Want to know more ? For more about Mars , Dr . Reynolds suggests visiting this links :
NASA https :// mars . nasa . gov / allaboutmars / facts /#? c = inspace & s = distance https :// mars . nasa . gov / allaboutmars / nightsky / opposition / https :// spaceplace . nasa . gov / all-about-mars / en / https :// solarsystem . nasa . gov / planets / mars / overview /
Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers http :// www . alpo-astronomy . org / http :// www . alpo-astronomy . org / jbeish / 2018 _ MARS . htm
Google Maps https :// www . google . com / maps / space / mars /@ 0 , - 81.482819,22963938m / data =! 3m1 ! 1e3
Space . com https :// www . space . com / 47-mars-the-red-planet-fourthplanet-from-the-sun . html https :// www . space . com / 16871-how-big-is-mars . html
has a temperature of -109.3 ° F . Dry ice is very cold ; you should never hold or even touch it without using specific equipment and adult supervision . Beyond the polar caps you might be able to glimpse other Martian features . You should consult one of the online Mars maps ; that will help to make your Mars exploration more meaningful if you can resolve some of these features . As you spend some time at your telescope ’ s eyepiece , you might note another Martian characteristic : it rotates on its axis , like Earth and the other planets in our Solar System . What is interesting here – and was also alluring to those astronomers of the 19th and 20th century – is that the length of the Martian day is similar to that of Earth : about 24 hours and 37 minutes compared to Earth ’ s 23 hours and 56 minutes . Know that seeing many of the Martian surface features can be challenging , yet the rewards are well worth the time you invest . Again , do not take a quick glance ; really study Mars . So this summer get out and look up at Mars ! The more you look , the more you will see . And know how special this Mars opposition is ; the next opportunity to view Mars this close to Earth is September 2035 . That is , unless you are one of the first astronauts to visit Mars … o o o In addition to being a longtime STEM advocate , Dr . Mike Reynolds is a dean and professor of astronomy and physics at Florida State College and a recognized expert on meteoritics . He participated in NASA ’ s Teachers in Space Program and has served as executive director of the Chabot Space & Science Center .
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