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Enter the Red Planet: A Guide to the Upcoming Mars 2014 Opposition Season
universetoday.com ^
| February 10, 2014
| David Dickinson on
Posted on 02/10/2014 3:02:07 PM PST by BenLurkin
Get those telescopes ready: the coming months offer Earthbound viewers some great views of the planet Mars.
Mars reaches opposition for 2014 on April 8th. This is approaching season represents the best time to observe Mars, as the Red Planet is closest to us in April and rises in the east as the Sun sets opposite to it in the west. Mars reaches 10” in apparent size this week. Mars is already beginning to show surface detail through a moderate-sized telescope as it continues to grow. In mid-February, Mars currently rises at around midnight local, and rides high to the south at local sunrise.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Astronomy
KEYWORDS:
1
posted on
02/10/2014 3:02:07 PM PST
by
BenLurkin
To: BenLurkin
Mars reaches 10” in apparent size this week. Could an astronomer please explain what this means?
2
posted on
02/10/2014 3:10:55 PM PST
by
Yo-Yo
(Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
To: Yo-Yo
Mars reaches 10” in apparent size this week. (Insert viagra joke here…)
3
posted on
02/10/2014 3:25:03 PM PST
by
Yossarian
To: Yossarian
"Heh, heh"
4
posted on
02/10/2014 3:45:10 PM PST
by
Yo-Yo
(Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
To: Yo-Yo
It refers to the angle subtended by Mars. One degree has sixty minutes, written 60’. Each minute has 60 seconds, written 60’’. Thus, Mars will subtend 10 seconds of angle.
5
posted on
02/10/2014 3:45:57 PM PST
by
Paine in the Neck
(Our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor)
To: BenLurkin
Hah! All you Global Warming deniers - what do you say now?
I have no idea what that means, actually, but it sounded good. BTT
To: Paine in the Neck
Makes perfect sense! Thanks, I never connected 10" as 10 seconds of a degree, but now it's obvious.
7
posted on
02/10/2014 4:01:34 PM PST
by
Yo-Yo
(Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
To: BenLurkin
Is this happening because of Global Warming?
8
posted on
02/10/2014 4:06:59 PM PST
by
Mr. K
(If you like your constitution, you can keep it...Period.)
To: Yossarian
(Insert viagra joke here…)If I could Ci-al-is I wouldn't NEED the Viagra!
9
posted on
02/10/2014 4:09:39 PM PST
by
JimRed
(Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
To: BenLurkin
To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
Thanks BenLurkin, extra to APod.
11
posted on
02/10/2014 7:57:03 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
To: BenLurkin
Mars was last in opposition on March 3, 2012. Its orbit around the sun is 687 days (1.88 earth years), and the earth overtakes it approximately once every 780 days (2 years and 50 days). Because of the eccentricity of Mars' orbit at some oppositions Mars is much further away than in others--the best ones are when the opposition takes place in August.
Obviously March 3, 2012, to April 8, 2014, is less than 780 days...Mars moves more slowly when it is further from the sun (obeying one of Kepler's laws).
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