In Chicago, where to find Mars in night sky as red planet, earth near each other Elvia MalagonChicago Tribune ...
Elvia MalagonChicago Tribune
Don’t be alarmed if you see a bright orange dot in the sky at night â€" that’s the close-up view of Mars.
And, as the two planets get ever nearer to one another in the coming days, it could only get better, according to one Chicago expert.
At 2:51 a.m. Tuesday, Earth and Mars are projected to be roughly 36 million miles apart, which is the closest the two planets have been in more than a decade, said Michelle Nichols, the director of public observing at the Adler Planetarium. Still, earth won̢۪t be as close to Mars as it was in 2003 when we were a mere 35 million miles apart, Nichols said.
That year, Earth was the closet it was to Mars in 60,000 years and NASA estimates through mathematical calculations that won̢۪t happen again until August 2287.
What̢۪s happening in the sky occurs about every 15 years, and it̢۪s known as opposition. Mars and Earth will be on the same side of the sun and all three will be lined up, Nichols said. For Earth dwellers, that mean̢۪s a better and brighter view of Mars. The planets don̢۪t always line up this way because their orbits aren̢۪t perfect circles and Earth makes its way around the sun faster, said Andrew Dombard, an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
It starts Friday, but Chicago residents don̢۪t have to stay up Monday night to get a view of Mars. Anyone can see a view of Mars at night with it rising earlier in the sky each day, Nichols said.
“Frankly, if anyone has a telescope anytime in July or August, you will get a decent view,†Nichols said.
The Adler Planetarium is hosting a free outdoor viewing event from 9 to 11 p.m. Monday where the public will have access to telescopes to get a detailed view of Mars hours before the planets are supposed to be at their closest, Nichols said. Attendees will also be able to touch a piece of Mars â€" a rock from a meteorite â€" during the event.
Gazers trying to find Mars should look low in the southeast skies and find an “extraordinarily bright orange dot,†Nichols said. The direction and thickness of clouds could effect the view, and the planet could also be obscured by the city’s tall trees and buildings, she said.
On Monday night, the Chicago area is expected to have partly to mostly cloud skies, according to the National Weather Service. Staff at the planetarium will be keeping a watch on the forecast through the weekend and will announce on social media if the event has to be canceled because of the weather, Nichols said.
Those looking up should also be able to catch a glimpse of Saturn at about a 2 o̢۪clock position from Mars, Dombard said.
“You’ll see the moon, a bright, reddish-looking star â€" that’s Mars â€" and then a dimmer slightly-not-as red (but) still pretty bright star,†Dombard said. “Even with city lights you should still be able to see something.â€
emalagon@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @ElviaMalagon
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