Centaur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/12/04
Posts: 1374
Loc: Chicago
|
|
Mars is returning to our evening skies! It is now rising before midnight daylight time for most observers. All of my following calculations are true for both UT and American Central Time dates.
Mars will achieve western quadrature (90° from Sun) on 2009 OCT 29. On that date it will appear as a gibbous 88.6% illuminated with a magnitude of +0.5 and an angular diameter of 7.8 arcseconds. Apparent retrograde movement will commence on DEC 20. Its closest approach for this apparition will occur on 2010 JAN 27 at 0.66396 AU with an angular diameter of 14.1 arcseconds. Greatest brilliance with magnitude -1.3 along with greatest elongation and the opposition in longitude with declination of N 22.2 ° will occur on JAN 29. Opposition in right ascension will occur on JAN 30. Apparent direct motion will resume on MAR 10. Mars will achieve eastern quadrature on MAY 04. On that date it will appear as a gibbous 89.7% illuminated with a magnitude of +0.8 and an angular diameter of 7.1 arcseconds. Conjunction with the Sun in longitude will occur on 2011 FEB 04.
On Halloween (the night of 2009 OCT 31/NOV 01) Mars (mag +0.4) will appear to move through the Beehive (M44 Praesepe) cluster in Cancer. I predict that early on NOV 01 Mars will pass 4.1 arcminutes south of 39 Cancri (mag +6.4) at 07:14 UT, and 2.2 arcminutes south of 40 Cancri (mag +6.6) at 08:42 UT. Be careful regarding the timing, since it will be the night of the change from daylight time back to standard time in America.
I’ve created a graphic demonstrating the current apparition of Mars, including its passage through the Beehive. It can be seen by clicking: http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical
Photos and descriptions of Mars (including the Beehive passage) would be welcome additions to this thread.
--------------------
For astronomical graphics, including
monthly wallpaper calendar, visit:
www.CurtRenz.com/astronomical
Curt Renz - "Centaur"
|
skypilgrim
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/25/06
Posts: 558
Loc: Under a cloud
|
|
Wonderful stuff as usual Curt. Thanks! 
Sam 
--------------------
AL Messier certificate #2078
AL Double Star certificate #354
Area of interest: Cultural Astronomy
My Blog: http://fathersky.wordpress.com/
|
Centaur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/12/04
Posts: 1374
Loc: Chicago
|
|
Quote:
Wonderful stuff as usual Curt. Thanks!
Sam
You’re welcome, Sam. Thanks for your feedback. I hope you and others provide nice reports on Mars’ Saturday night (Halloween) Beehive passage.
--------------------
For astronomical graphics, including
monthly wallpaper calendar, visit:
www.CurtRenz.com/astronomical
Curt Renz - "Centaur"
|
tigerroach
sage
Reged: 08/13/08
Posts: 465
Loc: Houston, TX
|
|
Cool beans.
The first time I bagged a Messier object, it was M44 because Mars was right by it, in '93 when I was just starting out. 
--------------------
Brian
TeleVue TV-102, Gibralter alt-az mount
Webster 14.5" f/4.3 truss dob *under construction*
Canon 10x30 & 15x50 IS binocs
|
skypilgrim
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/25/06
Posts: 558
Loc: Under a cloud
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
Wonderful stuff as usual Curt. Thanks!
Sam
You’re welcome, Sam. Thanks for your feedback. I hope you and others provide nice reports on Mars’ Saturday night (Halloween) Beehive passage.
Hi Curt - At the moment the forecast isn't too promising but at this time of year things change rather quickly. Hoping for the best. 
Sam
--------------------
AL Messier certificate #2078
AL Double Star certificate #354
Area of interest: Cultural Astronomy
My Blog: http://fathersky.wordpress.com/
|
Centaur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/12/04
Posts: 1374
Loc: Chicago
|
|
Quote:
Cool beans.
The first time I bagged a Messier object, it was M44 because Mars was right by it, in '93 when I was just starting out.
So it will be déjà vu for you, Brian. That 1993 event occurred during the predawn hours of May 12 with Mars passing just a bit to the north of most stars in the Beehive. I hope you are able to catch tonight’s passage.
--------------------
For astronomical graphics, including
monthly wallpaper calendar, visit:
www.CurtRenz.com/astronomical
Curt Renz - "Centaur"
|
rookie
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/14/06
Posts: 873
Loc: St. Petersburg, FL
|
|
Mars was glorious this morning just off the the hook of the little coathanger asterism in the Beehive.
--------------------
SV
Scope: Celestron CPC8
Binoculars: Garrett GT80~45, Fujinon 16x70, Regals 10x42, Ultima 9x63, Nikon AE 8x40
|
Dean Norris
sage
Reged: 11/05/08
Posts: 423
Loc: Santa Cruz, Ca
|
|
Mars with the Beehive was a beautiful sight. I have never seen it pass through a cluster like this before so it was a treat for me. And the view of Mars at 384x was the best image I have had of it this year. A lot of detail considering it's small size. (Though I have only observed Mars 3 times this year so far). Now that the time has changed, it will be easier to stay up for an observation. Centaur, Thanks for bringing this special event to my attention.
Dean
--------------------
1971 10" Cave Newtonian F/6
MoonLite CR Focuser Telrad Finder 8x50 finder
TV 40mm, 32, 20, 7.4, Meade 6mm, UO 5mm, Meade 2x Barlow
7x50 Binoculars
|
Centaur
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/12/04
Posts: 1374
Loc: Chicago
|
|
Thanks for your reports, Rookie and Dean. Glad you got to see it. We’ll get a repeat in 23 months!
--------------------
For astronomical graphics, including
monthly wallpaper calendar, visit:
www.CurtRenz.com/astronomical
Curt Renz - "Centaur"
|
Rick Woods
Postmaster
Reged: 01/27/05
Posts: 5648
Loc: Inner Solar System
|
|
I saw it too, Sunday before dawn. I was trying to get a look at Mars with my SCT, but the atmosphere wasn't cooperating. So, I looked through the piggybacked 120mm achro super-finder, and thought "gee, what a pretty star field... it looks almost like the Beehive... hey, didn't Centaur say something about this?". Then I looked through the 50mm finder, and there was the whole spectacle, nicely framed. A really beautiful transit.
--------------------
- Rick
14" LX200GPS
83% of all statistics are meaningless.
|
tigerroach
sage
Reged: 08/13/08
Posts: 465
Loc: Houston, TX
|
|
I had to settle for the view a couple nights before - Mars was just in the outskirts of the cluster. Still a very nice sight.
--------------------
Brian
TeleVue TV-102, Gibralter alt-az mount
Webster 14.5" f/4.3 truss dob *under construction*
Canon 10x30 & 15x50 IS binocs
|
Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 10430
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
|
|
The weather forecast and the actual conditions differed quite a bit but I was able to catch a few glimpses of Mars and M44 through sucker holes this morning, using my Orion ST80 achromat and an 8.8mm Meade UWA (45x). I had hoped to take a few photographs but with the sky being mostly cloudy it wasn't worthwhile setting up to do so.
Dave Mitsky
--------------------
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
|
Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 10430
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
|
|
I've been observing Mars with my Celstron 8x42 Regals the past two mornings. It was bit more than a degree southeast of the Beehive this morning.
Dave Mitsky
--------------------
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
|
dfell
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/25/05
Posts: 577
Loc: Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada
|
|
Still a nice grouping through the finder.
--------------------
www.spacealberta.com
12" collapsible Dob
25" Round Table Platform
Ethos 13mm
original TV smoothside plossls
80mm f/15 Towa Refractor
PST
|
Special Ed
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/03
Posts: 4276
Loc: Greenbrier Co., WV 38N, 80W
|
|
It's been too cloudy here to do much stargazing, but Mars and the Beehive were still close on Nov. 3rd. I posted this report in the Sketching forum.
Curt, thanks as always for the heads up.
--------------------
Michael Rosolina
8" f/10 Orange Tube SCT
4.25" f/4.2 Astroscan Reflector
SVP 3.6" f/13.6 CA Reflector
40mm PST f/10
APM Germany HD 15x70 binoculars
Canon 12x36 IS II binoculars
Mark I Eyeball
My CN Gallery
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 
