The Opposition of Mars
 
March 28, 2014:  By the time you finish reading this story, you'll be about
1,000 km closer to the planet Mars.
 
Earth and Mars are converging for a close encounter. As March gives way to
April, the distance between the two planets is shrinking by about 300 km every
minute.  When the convergence ends in mid-April, the gulf between Earth and
Mars will have narrowed to only 92 million km--a small number on the vast
scale of the solar system.
 
Astronomers call this event an "opposition of Mars" because Mars and the Sun
are on opposite sides of the sky.  Mars rises in the east at sunset, and soars
almost overhead at midnight, shining burnt-orange almost 10 times brighter
than a 1st magnitude star.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xngUpUyyT70
 
A new ScienceCast video previews the April 2014 close approach of Mars. Play
it!
 
Oppositions of Mars happen every 26 months. Of a similar encounter in the 19th
century, astronomer Percival Lowell wrote that "[Mars] blazes forth against
the dark background of space with a splendor that outshines Sirius and rivals
the giant Jupiter himself."
 
In other words, it's really easy to see.
 
There are two dates of special significance:
 
April 8th is the date of opposition, when Mars, Earth, and the sun are
arranged in a nearly-straight line.
 
If the orbits of Mars and Earth were perfectly circular, April 8th would also
be the date of closest approach.  However, planetary orbits are 
lliptical--that is, slightly egg-shaped--so the actual date of closest
approach doesn't come until almost a week later.
 
http://tinyurl.com/np7m7x8
 
Mars, photographed on March 6, 2014, by Australian amateur astronomer Anthony
Wesley using a 16-inch telescope. MoreOn April 14th, Earth and Mars are at
their minimum distance: 92 million km, a 6+ month flight for NASA's speediest
rockets. You won't have any trouble finding Mars on this night. The full Moon
will be gliding by the Red Planet in the constellation Virgo, providing a
can't-miss "landmark" in the midnight sky.
 
Remarkably, on the same night that Mars is closest to Earth, there will be a
total lunar eclipse.  The full Moon of April 14-15 will turn as red as the Red
Planet itself.  A video from Science@NASA has the details.
 
Although these dates are special, any clear night in April is a good time to
look at Mars.  It will be easy to see with the unaided eye even from
brightly-lit cities.  With a modest backyard telescope, you can view the rusty
disk of Mars as well as the planet's evaporating north polar cap, which has
been tipped toward the sun since Martian summer began in February. Experienced
astro-photographers using state-of-the-art digital cameras can tease out even
more-for example, dust storms, orographic clouds over Martian volcanoes, and
icy fogs in the great Hellas impact basin. The view has been described by some
observers as "Hubblesque."
 
Update:  You're now 1000 km closer to Mars.
 
Credits:
Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit:
Science@NASA
 
More information:
 
The distances and velocities cited in this story were calculated by JPL's
online HORIZONS ephemeris.  All velocities are correct for March 31, 2014.
 
Oppositions of Mars happen every 26 months. The racetrack model of planetary
orbits explains why.  Earth and Mars are like runners on a track. Earth is on
the inside, Mars is on the outside.  Every 26 months, speedy Earth catches up
to slower Mars and laps it.  Opposition occurs just as Earth takes the lead.
 
Because planetary orbits are elliptical, not all oppositions are the same. In
2003, Mars made its closest approach to Earth in 50,000 years, an apparition
that mesmerized sky watchers all over the world.  The 2014 opposition of Mars
is a much more "run-of-the-mill" opposition--not historic, but beautiful
nonetheless.
 
 
Regards,
 
Roger

--- D'Bridge 3.99
 * Origin: NCS BBS - Houma, LoUiSiAna (1:3828/7)