By Gary Boyle
About three billion years ago, Mars is thought to have been a water world just like Earth. It possessed vast oceans and was probably on its way to forming life in one form or another. Water is made up of hydrogen, the most common element in the universe, and oxygen, the third most common element. Water is extremely important to the development and maintenance of life as we know it.
Because Mars is half the size of Earth, the planet lost its heat more quickly when its inner core stopped spinning. Similar to the Earth’s core, which produces a magnetic field around our planet, the core of Mars stopped producing its protective magnetic field, thus allowing the solar winds to eat away at its atmosphere and the red planet lost Water.
The first telescopic observations were made by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli in 1877, when Mars was at opposition, residing 56 million kilometers away, and he is said to have seen canals (channels) on Mars. Seeing these features gave the impression of a possible civilization. Since then, the red planet has been the focus of the search for ancient life and is also the inspiration for science fiction writers and filmmakers.
By the 2030s or 2040s, humans are expected to land on this fascinating world, searching for the possibility of life that may have once existed, even at the microbial level. After all, life is life. But Mars is now in the news for other reasons: it is now a highly visible object in the night sky.
Appearing as a bright orange object rising in the northeastern sky about forty-five minutes after the sun sets in the west, Mars is beautifully situated among the bright winter constellations of Orion the Hunter, Taurus the Bull, etc. If you aren’t already. sure where to look, any smartphone astronomy app will guide you.
So why is it so brilliant? The Earth revolves around the Sun in 365 days, while Mars does so in 687 days. Like runners on the inner lap on a racetrack, Earth catches up to and overtakes the slower Mars every 26 months. This next opposition will occur on December 8 with a separation of only 82 million kilometers. In the weeks following the opposition, our distance increases and Mars slowly fades. Every seventh opposition is very close, such as in 2003 and 2020. The next opposition occurs on January 15, 2025.
Be sure to look at Mars the night before, on December 7th, as the cold full Moon will cover Mars for a little less than an hour. All of Canada, as well as much of the United States, except Alaska and the southeastern states, will see this amazing sight. During its 29.5-day orbit around the earth, the moon moves its width every hour. Throughout the month, it covers stars seen through a telescope and, in rare cases, bright planets. This should be a great photo opportunity as the disappearance and subsequent reappearance should be quite obvious.
Clear sky!
Known as “The Backyard Astronomer,” Gary Boyle is an astronomy educator, guest speaker, and monthly columnist for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, as well as a STEM educator. In recognition of his public outreach in astronomy, the International Astronomical Union has honored him with the name of asteroid (22406) Garyboyle. Visit their website at www.wondersofastronomy.com.
editorial@accjournal.ca Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
astronomy