{"id":18421,"date":"2018-07-26T23:06:08","date_gmt":"2018-07-26T15:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/its-prime-time-for-watching-mars-plus-a-total-lunar-eclipse-that-you-can-see-online\/"},"modified":"2018-07-26T23:06:08","modified_gmt":"2018-07-26T15:06:08","slug":"its-prime-time-for-watching-mars-plus-a-total-lunar-eclipse-that-you-can-see-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/its-prime-time-for-watching-mars-plus-a-total-lunar-eclipse-that-you-can-see-online\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s prime time for watching Mars \u2013 plus a total lunar eclipse that you can see online"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mars
A global dust storm covers Mars\u2019 disk in this image from the Hubble Space Telescope, captured on July 18. The planet\u2019s two small moons, Deimos (left) and Phobos (right), appear in the lower half of the image. (NASA \/ ESA \/ STScI Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s no hoax: Mars is bigger and brighter in the night sky than it\u2019s been at any time since 2003. And you can watch the longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century.<\/p>\n

There are caveats, of course: The only way folks in North America can see Friday\u2019s eclipse is to watch it online. And Mars won\u2019t look anywhere near as big as the moon, despite what\u2019s been claimed in a hoax that dates back to, um, 2003.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, this weekend\u2019s astronomical double-header is not to be missed.<\/p>\n

Mars and more: Watch the skies<\/h3>\n
\"Mars
Mars is easy to spot low in the southeastern sky in late evening. On the night of the 27th, it will be joined by the full moon. (Sky & Telescope Graphic \/ Gregg Dinderman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First, let\u2019s talk about Mars: Due to the alignment of Earth\u2019s 12-month orbit and Mars\u2019 26-month orbit, there\u2019s wide variation in the distances between the two planets. Mars is just about at its closest when it\u2019s lined up directly opposite the sun, as seen from Earth \u2014 a configuration that\u2019s known as opposition.<\/p>\n

But even opposition has its variations, because the planets\u2019 orbits are elliptical rather than perfectly circular. This year\u2019s opposition happens to be extraordinarily close \u2014 not quite as close as 2003\u2019s 60,000-year record (34.6 million miles), but closer than any opposition since.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s one more twist: The absolutely closest distance this time around won\u2019t come at the precise time of opposition on Friday, when the sun, Earth and Mars are in a perfect line. It\u2019ll come a couple of days later, when the not-quite-circular orbits of Mars and Earth have their closest encounter, known as perigee. At 12:51 a.m. PT on July 31, the distance between Earth and Mars will narrow down to 35,785,537 miles, and then widen again.<\/p>\n

The bottom line is that the next few nights are the best times in astronomical terms to be looking at Mars, a bright butterscotch star that rises in the east at sunset, shines directly to the south at midnight and sets at sunrise.<\/p>\n

Usually, looking through a telescope will reveal details of Mars\u2019 terrain, including the features that were interpreted as channels or \u201ccanals\u201d in the 19th century. Unfortunately, those features are currently obscured due to a global dust storm on the Red Planet. Even so, it\u2019s worth dusting off your binoculars or backyard telescope to try making out the planet\u2019s disk and perhaps its polar caps.<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re looking at Mars, don\u2019t miss the rest of the season\u2019s planetary plenitude: Mercury and Venus are relatively close to the sun, but under the right conditions you might be able to catch Venus as a bright gem just after sunset. Jupiter is a little higher up in southwestern skies. Saturn (fresh from its own opposition last month) shines in the southeast at sunset. If you\u2019re up before dawn, there\u2019s even a chance to see Uranus and Neptune.<\/p>\n

To get a fix on all the planets, consult the viewing guides at Sky & Telescope or Heavens-Above.com. And then there\u2019s the International Space Station: NASA\u2019s \u201cSpot the Station\u201d website lists nightly opportunities to watch the shining outpost make its way through the sky, customized to your locale.<\/p>\n

Lunar eclipse: Watch online<\/h3>\n
\"Lunar
This chart shows which phases of the lunar eclipse will be seen from which parts of the world. P1 marks the start of the penumbral phase, U1 the start of the umbral (partial) phase, U2 the start of totality, U3 the end of totality, U4 the end of the partial phase, and P4 the end of the penumbral phase. North America misses the entire eclipse. (NASA Graphic \/ Fred Espenak)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally, about the moon: For North American observers, the moon stays resolutely in its full phase on Friday night (accompanied by a sparkling Mars, of course). But earlier in the day, the rest of the world will see at least part of an unusually long lunar eclipse. So if you\u2019re in the Western Hemisphere, don\u2019t wait until sunset. Open up your Web browser (or smartphone app) during the daytime and watch the moon turn red online.<\/p>\n

The shows get started at 10 a.m. PT when Slooh begins its hosted webcast, focusing on the science behind eclipses and providing views from observing stations. That\u2019s just before the moon enters the penumbral phase of the eclipse, at 10:14 a.m. PT:<\/p>\n