Re: In the southern sky 10:00pm cst very bright star. Is it Mars or Antares?

Date: Tue Jul 17 18:14:48 2001
Posted By: Camilo Ernesto Mendoza Huezo, Grad student, Computer Science, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California - Ensenada
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 994134609.As

Message:

Well since you don't specify a location, I will assume that you are somewhere in the middle of the states. And I think that the star you are referring to is Mars.

The summer of 2001 finds Mars shining brighter and appearing larger than it has since 1988. The peak of the apparition occurs in mid-June, when Mars lies opposite the sun in the sky and remains visible all night long. This alignment, called opposition, also marks the peak in the planet’s brightness.

[Moderator's Note: For a wealth of information on observing Mars, check out http://www.shallowsky.com/mars.html .]

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