Wednesday, September 10, 2003

MARS



Mars rises in the east-southeast shortly after the end of twilight,
shining a bright, fiery orange. It's beautifully placed in the south
before dawn. Mars is now unusually large and shows quite a bit of detail
in a good telescope when the atmosphere is steady; observe the planet
when it's highest before dawn.

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MARS AT ITS ALL-TIME FINEST

Never before in human history has such a golden opportunity to observe the
red planet presented itself. Make the most of it with our online Mars
observing guide for 2003.



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MARS IN 2003: WHICH SIDE IS VISIBLE?

To compare what you see on Mars with a map, you need to know which side
of the planet you're looking at. Our handy Mars Profiler tells you that and
more, for any date and time.
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MARTIAN FLARE WATCH

Sharp-eyed amateurs have an opportunity to observe a rare phenomenon on
another planet and help solve a long-standing puzzle. Bright, star-like
flares from certain regions on the planet Mars likely come from sunlight
glinting off patches of frost or ice on the Martian surface. Discover when
and where to watch for these flares this year at: Sky & Telescope.com

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