The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Mars will appear brighter today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 30, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Mars will appear brighter today

Lalithasai

It will be at a distance of 6.94-crore km from the Earth It will be at a distance of 6.94-crore km from the Earth The apparent angular size of the planet will grow to 20.2 arc seconds

CHENNAI: The red planet Mars will appear brighter on Sunday. That is, if the sky is clear.

"As twilight approaches, the planet will glare low in the east and shine orange with a brightness of a visual magnitude nearly -2.3. The apparent angular size of the planet will grow to 20.2 arc seconds and will appear bright throughout Sunday night. This rare phenomenon can be seen with the naked eye," says P. Iyamperumal, Executive Director of the B. M. Birla Planetarium, Chennai. When a planet moves at 180 degree away from the Sun, that is, at the diametrically opposite side of the Sun when viewed from the Earth, it is said to be at `opposition.' Mars comes to opposition once in 26 months when the Earth passes the red planet in its orbit.

The orbit of Mars is more elliptical than the Earth. So, the distance between the Earth and Mars keeps changing. Consequently, when the Earth approaches close to Mars on Sunday, the planet will be at a distance of 6.94-crore km from the Earth.

During `opposition', the planet makes its closest approach to the Earth, and it is fully illuminated by the Sun. As a result, it appears largest and brightest.

The Birla planetarium will make arrangements for the public to view the spectacle 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

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