Jupiter and Venus are getting all the media attention because they happen to appear close in the sky, but Mars is the real object to see this month. It is in opposition (see diagram). This happens every two years. Last time we were out in the Sabine Hills north of Rome (sniff, sniff). I cleaned the 6 inch mirror on my Dobsonian telescope a while back, and when I put the whole thing back together, something wasn't quite right. I was getting dim and blurry views. So yesterday I went into telescope maintenance mode and, as the Brits would say, got it all sorted.
I was out looking at Mars last night. The view is not nearly as spectacular as the image above, but it is very nice. But I can't see much of the northern polar cap -- it is, after all, summer time in the Martian Northern Hemisphere.
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The image I can get here isn't that spectacular either.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like is the way, what with Mars Venus and Jupiter all being prominent, one can so easily "see" the ecliptic in one's mind's eye at night.
When the Moon is in the Seventh House
ReplyDeleteAnd Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
Far out, man and
73.......Steve Smith WB6TNL
"Snort Rosin"