 The Red Planet - Mars
Size comparison of Venus, Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Photo courtesy of NASA JPL CalTech/ESA.
Venture outdoors this evening and look for the red glow of Mars low in the northeastern sky at about 7:00 p.m. Tonight the New Moon will make for great gazing if the evening skies stay cloudless. This sky map for November will help you find Mars and other objects of interest. You’ll be able to see Mars with the naked eye but if you have binoculars, take them along to get an even better look at the night sky. The second page of the chart, by skymaps.com, has a list of objects that are easily seen with eyes alone, with binoculars, and those best seen with a telescope.
Mars has been long been associated in legends with anger and war because of its red glow. It is the iron oxides (rust or hematite) on the planet’s surface that give Mars its color. Visit NASA’s Mars webpages to:
Our colder days and nights clear the atmosphere of humidity and make for the best night sky viewing, so keep looking up all winter long.
Wishing you clear skies and great viewing!
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