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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Mars, Ceres, Vesta
NASA ^
| April 10, 2014
| (see photo credit)
Posted on 04/10/2014 5:55:43 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: That bright, ruddy star you've recently noticed rising just after sunset isn't a star at all. That's Mars, the Red Planet. Mars is now near its 2014 opposition (April 8) and closest approach (April 14), looping through the constellation Virgo opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky. Clearly outshining bluish Spica, alpha star of Virgo, Mars is centered in this labeled skyview from early April, that includes two other solar system worlds approaching their opposition. On the left, small and faint asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres are seen near star Tau Virginis. But you'll just have to imagine NASA's Dawn spacecraft cruising between the small worlds. Having left Vesta in September of 2012, Dawn's ion engine has been steadily driving it to match orbits with Ceres, scheduled to arrive there in February 2015. Of course, you can also look near Mars for the Moon opposite the Sun in Earth's sky on the night of April 14/15 ... and see a total lunar eclipse.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; ceres; mars; science; vesta; virgo
[Credit & Copyright: Tunç Tezel (TWAN)]
1
posted on
04/10/2014 5:55:43 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
You have to use really high magnification to make out the lines.
The Big One
2
posted on
04/10/2014 5:57:01 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: SunkenCiv
Is mars the Belly Button? :-)
3
posted on
04/10/2014 5:58:26 AM PDT
by
left that other site
(You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
To: SunkenCiv
The Dawn spacecraft should be arriving at Ceres very soon.
4
posted on
04/10/2014 6:08:07 AM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
To: left that other site
It’s the one-eyed hangover of the Solar System. :’)
5
posted on
04/10/2014 6:11:39 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: SunkenCiv
Have yet to see any detail on Mars. Using an 8” SCT and 4” f9 ED refractor. All I see is a pretty orange/red disc. Seeing has ranged from poor to good. I probably need to stay up late to observe Mars when it’s higher in the sky. Been packing it in around 10PM since I get up at 5AM for work.
To: cripplecreek
7
posted on
04/10/2014 6:30:08 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: barefoot_hiker
That's probably all you can get; the
canali reported by
Schiaparelli are still reported today, and in the same places, which is weird, because I don't think there's any sign of them from probes. He was able to make out the large impact features, but the term
canali led
Percival Lowell and a few others to believe that there were artificial water channels on Mars. One of the non-explanations for them was that anyone seeing a blurry orange dot would automatically just make up details like that, another nail in the coffin of the idea that "skeptics" are rational.
8
posted on
04/10/2014 6:37:10 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: SunkenCiv
Dust storms blowing across the planet - like our cold fronts, they’d create a blurry impression of lines.
And, the next time, wouldn’t a blurry-eyed astronomer “want” to see the same impression of lines again? Even his sketches didn’t have the same lines in the same latitudes again.
9
posted on
04/10/2014 6:52:18 AM PDT
by
Robert A Cook PE
(I can only donate monthly, but socialists' ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
To: SunkenCiv
At High magnification I have seen the lines. The eyes do play tricks.
But, the weather has been so bad here the last few months, I have yet to see Mars through a scope.
Hoping for a chance this weekend.
10
posted on
04/10/2014 7:11:16 AM PDT
by
Conan the Librarian
(The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
To: SunkenCiv
11
posted on
04/10/2014 7:29:30 AM PDT
by
left that other site
(You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
To: barefoot_hiker
Have yet to see any detail on Mars
Yeah, hard to get excited about this opposition, it's one of the worst possible distance-wise.
12
posted on
04/10/2014 8:20:12 AM PDT
by
plsvn
To: left that other site
:’) I’m glad someone “gets me”. ;’)
13
posted on
04/10/2014 9:02:19 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: barefoot_hiker; Robert A. Cook, PE; Conan the Librarian; plsvn
Oh, see, I’m not too bright... my original reference to lines was a joke about their superimposition of the zodiac lines on the image. :’) [blush]
14
posted on
04/10/2014 9:03:24 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: SunkenCiv
LOL!
I think we might share the burden of having a rather twisted sense of humor!
15
posted on
04/10/2014 9:07:43 AM PDT
by
left that other site
(You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
To: left that other site
16
posted on
04/10/2014 11:06:20 AM PDT
by
Conan the Librarian
(The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
To: Conan the Librarian; All
Also be aware that there is a Lunar eclipse this coming Tuesday Morning!
The Moon will be near Mars and almost on top of Spica.
17
posted on
04/10/2014 11:07:39 AM PDT
by
Conan the Librarian
(The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
To: Conan the Librarian
18
posted on
04/10/2014 11:24:46 AM PDT
by
left that other site
(You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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