
Mars Opposition and Closest Approach to Earth on March 3 & 5, 2012 (Respectively)
(Starry Night Pro was used to create this graphic.)
Currently, if you look towards the east three hours after sunset, you will see a bright pinkish-white star like object rising... this is the planet Mars. Mars will line up with the Earth and the Sun on the night of March 3rd (which is called an opposition). Mars will be nearly as bright as the brightest nighttime star Sirius which can be found to the right of Mars (see graphic below). Mars is currently in retrograde motion; meaning, it is moving east to west among the stars. Mars started the retrograde motion on January 25, 2012. Mars retrograde motion will cease on April 16th and again move west to east. Notice how Mars makes a loop in the sky. An analogy of this phenomenon can be compared to when you are passing a car: as you move past the car, in the same direction, the car looks like it is moving backwards to you... relatively speaking! Now to make things even more interesting, Mars does not make its closest approach to Earth until March 5th. You would think that since Mars is in opposition on March 3rd, then the closest approach would be on the same day... not! Celestial mechanics can be a mind blower at times! But Mars was the planet that helped past astronomers in determining how planets moved among the stars. For untold centuries, that looping motion of Mars (as seen above) really through ancient astronomers for a ...
Carl Sagan had a show on PBS called Cosmos. In Episode 3-The Harmony of the Worlds, Sagan shows how astronomy and astrology went their separate ways with Johannes Kepler leading the way in the 17th century. Sagan's show dramatizes the trials and tribulations of Kepler trying to understand how planets moved, and over a period of decades, triumphantly came up with the three laws of planetary motion. Mars motion among the stars plus Tycho Brahe's observations of the red planet played heavily in his findings.
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Our Moon for Saturday, February 4th, five hours after sunset.
The software for this image is free and can be found at http://www.stellarium.org/.
What time is sunrise or sunset for you? Check this website out (time and date.com).
Annular Eclipse of the Sun
May 20, 2012
(Animated)
Partial Eclipse of the Moon
June 4, 2012
(Animated)
Transit of Venus Across the Disk of the Sun
June 5/6, 2012
(Animated)
In June, Venus will once again pass in front of the Sun as seen from Earth and your backyard (naturally). I watched Venus transit the Sun back in 2004. It looked like a fairly large black dot slowly moving in front of the Sun. If you look at the graphic above, you will notice that Venus is very black compared to sunspots. The transit in June will be an evening event
with Venus still transiting the disk of the Sun at sunset. Alaska and Hawaii will be able to see the entire transit. Click here to NASA's website to see a world map of who on Earth will be able to get to see this phenomenon. The next two transits of Venus will occur on December 11, 2017 and December 8, 2025. This celestial event is rare, so please find a way to view it and do it safely. Again, you have to look at the Sun safely or you will go blind! (Solar image from NASA.) (I would like to thank Glen Read of Utah in helping me correct a mistake on this graphic. I had Venus running in the opposite direction which is now corrected. Thanks Glen!) |
December 10,2011 total eclipse photos at spaceweather.com... check it out!
Click on the above graphic to see details of the December 10th lunar eclipse.
Total Eclipse of the Sun - August 21, 2017 - USA
Click on the map to see the full animation and maps.
Past Animations
Click on the lunar eclipse graphic above for past animations of eclipses, meteor showers and more.
Click the graphic to see
photos!
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November 7, 2004 |
January 30, 2001 |
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May 15, 2005 |
November 20, 2003 |
Past Graphics
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1996 |
July 2000 |
March 2002 |
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Updated on February 3, 2012