to Earth (and thus appears a smidge larger) on the 31st.
The Red Planet will lie 35,785,000 miles (57,590,000 km)
away then. It will span 24.33" and shine at magnitude
–2.8. And — not that you’ll need any stars to locate it
— its position will lie within the constellation
Capricornus just north of the midpoint of a line joining
the magnitude 4.7 star 62 Sagittarii (HIP 98688) with
magnitude 4.3 Omega (ω) Capricorni.
Head south
Observers at northern latitudes find themselves at
a severe disadvantage this summer. At opposition,
Mars’ declination (distance above or below the celestial
equator) is –25°34'. This means for an observer at 40°
north latitude, Mars will climb a scant 24° above the
southern horizon at midnight local time.
It’s important to consider a planet’s altitude because
the less air you view (or photograph) through, the better
the image. So, if you have a choice, head south. Even a
10° change in latitude will let you see more surface
details. Ideally, we all probably want to observe from
latitude 25°34' south. Anyone up for a trip to Brisbane,
Australia? At midnight there, Mars will be overhead on
its opposition date.
Here’s a tip: Don’t wait for opposition. Although Mars
will be biggest and brightest around opposition, you can
This Hubble
Space Telescope
image, taken
June 26, 2001,
remains one of
the best ever of
Mars. At the time,
the Red Planet
was 43 million
miles (68 million
kilometers) from
Earth. NASA/THE HUBBLE
HERITAGE TEAM (STS C I/AURA)
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM
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