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What can you see
The characteristics of albedo are the areas most prone to seasonal changes such as lightening or darkening. With a telescope of 4 inches or more, you will see great features of albedo – the regions are distinguished by the amount of light that they reflect. The best of Mars includes Syrtis Major (an easily visible, triangular triangular line), Chryse, Elysium, Hellas Basin, Libya and Solis Lacus.
The day of March, which astronomers call a soil, is 37.4 minutes longer than an Earth. day. So, if you observe Mars at the same time each night, its marks will seem to be moving 9.11 ° a day to the west. In a little over five weeks, the planet seems to slowly turn back a full turn. All the important features of Mars will be, at a certain point in this period, on its meridian, the line separating the visible disc from the planet from top to bottom, seen from Earth. All Martian entities seem to be at their best when they are on the meridian of the planet.
Even including the highlights of albedo, the best surface features of the red planet are its polar ice caps. In opposition, the southern polar cap of Mars sinks 11 ° in our direction
Due to the temperature range of the Martian poles, astronomers subdivide each ice cap into larger "seasonal" ice caps. And smaller. Residual ceilings last until the Martian year. The southern ice cap is about 200 miles (320 km) in diameter. The remaining northern ice cap extends for approximately 600 miles (960 km).
Winters are more severe in the northern hemisphere of Mars, and the seasonal ice cap has reached a latitude of 45 °. In the southern hemisphere, the seasonal ice cap never pbades above a latitude of about -55 ° C.
Do not confuse the Hellas Basin with the polar ice cap. Hellas is a round and bright feature – an impact pool with lots of shiny dust and sometimes fog or clouds. When you see it near the limb (the edge of the planet), it can look like a polar cap.
Regarding clouds, all on Mars are temporary. Discrete clouds badociate with a specific area, and the rotation of Mars carries them off.
Orographic clouds are a type of discrete cloud. The wind that pbades over high mountains and volcanoes creates these clouds of water vapor. Observe the orographic clouds through a blue or purple filter to see the most contrast.
Look away from the Mars meridian and watch the morning and evening clouds. These bright, isolated patches of surface fog appear at sunrise (the western edge of Mars) and at sunset. The evening clouds usually seem larger and more numerous, and as the Martian night approaches, they become larger. These clouds respond better to blue or purple filters.
Color filters show a lot when you watch Mars, but they take a little time to get used to it. Be patient, and you will be surprised how much more detail you will see.
No need to rush
Although Mars appears taller on July 31, it will look almost as bright several weeks before and after that date. . So, if you are clouded, or if the 31 just does not work to watch, cheer up. Unlike the totality during a solar eclipse, a Martian opposition is not a short-lived event.
Just keep in mind that the best time to observe Mars is any night in the sky. Once every 26 months, Mars appears bright in our sky, but some of these appearances – like this one – are better than others. Enjoy the size and brightness of the planet, and do not worry so much that it's so low in the sky. Head to a science center or observatory, contact your local astronomy club or simply point your finger at the red planet. Then concentrate and take a good, long look.
A version of this story was published in the May 1945 issue of Astronomy
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