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Soon you can see Mars up 'close' By MELISSA MARTIN Rogue Valley stargazers can enjoy a clear view of the Red Planet as Mars and Earth head for a "close" encounter. On June 21, copper-hued Mars will lie just 42 million miles from Earth, the closest it's been in a dozen years. The two planets are approaching each other at 22,000 mph, according to information from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The encounters are the result of the two planets' elliptical orbits. Mars circles the sun every 1.88 Earth years (686.2 Earth days) and its "day" lasts 24.6 hours. STAR PARTY WHAT : public Star Party, weather permitting WHEN : Saturday, May 26, starts at 8:30 to 9 p.m. WHERE : Rogue Eagles Flying Park, White City, Highway 140 off Antelope Road, near the entrance to Agate Lake WHO : Southern Oregon Skywatchers MORE : Web site: www.oregonskywatchers.org e-mail: [email protected] If you think of the two planets as runners on an oval track, Earth is on the inside traveling faster than Mars. When Earth is on the point of overtaking, the two planets are lined up with the sun. This is called an "opposition" because from Earth, Mars is opposite the sun in the sky. Mars oppositions are good times to view the Red Planet because almost all its illuminated side faces us, according to a European Space Agency site for the 2003 Mars Express mission at sci.esa.int/content/doc/48/2376_.htm on the Web. Stargazers should look for Mars near the Sagittarius constellation, said Dave Bloomsness, president of Southern Oregon Skywatchers. Sagittarius looks something like a teapot if you draw a line connecting its stars. If you don't know your constellations, go outside about midnight and look for the brightest thing in the sky, about halfway between the southern horizon and straight overhead, he said. By the middle of next month, stargazers can find Mars about 45 minutes after sunset in the southeastern sky. "Mars will be brighter than Jupiter, which can be seen low on the western horizon," said Gary Sprague, North Medford High School astronomy teacher. But don't get the Red Planet confused with Antares (Latin for anti-Mars), the reddish star in the Scorpius constellation, he said. "Mars isn't red; it's yellowish-orange," Sprague said. Mars will grow even brighter as it approaches opposition on June 13. As an added bonus, behind Mars will be the bulging galactic center, where our wispy Milky Way galaxy spins around a supermassive black hole, according to NASA. The Milky Way can be difficult to see if you live near city lights. During another opposition in 2003, Mars will be the closest it has been to Earth in 17 years. Scientists who study Mars use these close approaches to send probes and landers to the planet. To learn more, start by reading additional details at science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast15may_1.htm on the Web. Reach reporter Melissa Martin at 776-4497, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.