OT: Mars!

[Deleted User]

It's Mars! sure was bright just after midnight. Earth overtook Mar's orbit in late December (Mars orbits the sun in just under two years being further out from the sun)... it's so bright because were so close to it as we pass by it.

It took me a while to find this map below. Finding Orion was easy (three stars in the belt), draw a line from Rigel (orions "knee") to Betelgeuse (orions shoulder), then a right angle from Betelguese to Aldebaran in "Taurus" (which I had trouble finding, mostly because the only star I could see was Aldebaran because of the streetlights). Mars is roughly at the top of an equilateral triangle with Betelgeuse and Aldebaran as the base of the triangle.

Here's a good site with description and map:

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/rog/2008/01/the_sky_tonight_for_january_20_1.html

slyrye

I found this site at nasa, it shows sighting opportunities for the International Space Station, which is visible to the naked eye, and even better with some binoculars.

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/sightings/

citychicken

geeze i still have trouble finding the north star, let alone mars!

hmmmmmm? you say that earth overtook mars' orbit.... does that mean we might have a galactic fender bender some day?

mark

stike

It's a pity that winter is the best time for viewing by telescope, and at night, otherwise I'd do more with my kids. Why can't the planets come out around 3pm, when they get home from school?

I never was 'in tune' with the sky, the sum total of my awareness was being able to find the North star and Orion, but not knowing what to do with them. Since we got a telescope, we've been a little better.

Kids lap it up, actually. We were walking along to the car after the fireworks one July fourth, looking at the sky, when my wife said, Wow. Look how bright that star is!" My then 5 year old son looked over his shoulder and with another family walking close by, casually said "That's not a star, mom, that's Mars...". The mom and Dad of the other family looked over at me and said "Whah?!?!" with their eyes. I just shrugged. hahaha

It's a great excuse to get out and spend a little time with the kids, even if you don't have kids.

I used to be an architect, and noticed something with regard to buildings. But it holds true for the sky, strangers' faces, and many other things.... The vast majority of people look down at their feet when they walk.