August 11, 2003
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer


Perhaps the United Nations should have declared this International Doorstep Astronomy Week. No matter how little you know about the night sky, this is a remarkable week to go out and look up, regardless of where you live.

An enchantingly bright Mars and the reliably interesting Moon will be near each other in the late night and early morning sky Monday night through Thursday morning.

The pairing comes just as Mars is on the verge of its biggest and brightest performance ever. It also offers an opportunity for even totally inexperienced skywatchers to make an exciting daytime planet sighting.

Meanwhile, patient observers could spot a bright fireball as ancient comet fragments are scheduled to hurtle through Earth's atmosphere.

All this with no equipment required. City lights are not an issue.

The Moon will be full Tuesday, Aug. 12 and will appear nearly full Monday night right on into Wednesday morning. Mars is now a blazing orange "star" that rises in the late evening and is high in the southern sky throughout the early morning hours. You cannot miss it.

Mars is the only show in town right now.

The red planet outshines everything in the night sky except the Moon. Only Venus can be brighter among planets and stars, and it is not visible right now.

Mars' reaches peak brilliance later in the month. On Aug. 27, it will be closer to Earth than ever in nearly 60,000 years, an historical event first reported by SPACE.com last November.

Mars and the Moon will rise nearly together, roughly around 9 or 9:30 p.m. local time, on several nights this week. They come up in the southeast and will roughly maintain their relative positions as they soar into the southern sky overnight.

By dawn, they'll be settling into the southwest. Exact moon and sun rise and set times for your location are available at the U.S. Naval Observatory Web site.


The Details:

* Monday Night: The Moon rises around 8:22 local time. Mars follows about an hour later, then remains well below and to the left of the Moon into the night as the move up and into the southern sky.

* Tuesday Morning: The pair slide high into the southern sky, then toward dawn they drift lower and to the southwest, with Mars now well above and to the left of the Moon. The Moon sets as day breaks while Mars stays above the horizon and gradually pales.

* Tuesday Night: Mars rises just below and to the left of the Moon, which comes up about 8:55 local time. They are so close you can probably block both out with your fist on an extended arm. Those with a clear view of the horizon can see them easily by 9:30, others may have to wait a bit.

* Wednesday Morning: Again both are high in the south in the wee hours of the morning, Mars at the Moon's left. As dawn takes over, the duo has sunk toward the southwest but remain well above the horizon.

* Wednesday Night: Almost a repeat of Tuesday night, except now Mars is slightly above and to the right of the Moon, which comes up at about 9:23 local time. Look for Mars a bit earlier if you have a clear view of the horizon.

* Thursday Morning: Mars and the Moon lift high into the southern sky, nearly duplicating the previous night's dance but having swapped sides. By 1 a.m. Mars has dropped slightly below the Moon in the sky and is off to its right. Mars shifts even more underneath the Moon toward dawn, with both still well up in the sky as the Sun takes over.



See Mars during the day.

The pairing present a neat opportunity to make a daytime planet sighting. Yes, daytime.

Mars is so bright it is visible to the naked eye after sunrise. The trick is keeping your eye on it as dawn's early light grows. Having the Moon as a giant locator beacon helps. If you lose track of Mars, just reorient via the Moon (which also remains visible during the day).