GREAT MARTIAN APPARITION OF 2020-2021
[30 May 2020 to 10 January 2021]
No other currently-known celestial event of calendar year 2020 will hold more opportunity to bring amateur skygazing into the lives of you and your friends and family than the apparition of Mars♂. An apparition is simply a time span during which an object is available for view in the sky. Every twenty-six months Earth♁ swings by and passes the Red Planet, giving anyone interested a chance to see it as close up as possible.
However, the orbits of Earth♁ and Mars♂ are not perfect circles. Therefore some close passes are closer than others, some farther away. This will be the closest pass to Mars♂ in fifteen years. The apparent size of the planet in our sky will exceed one percent the size of the Full Moon!
There is every real possibility of glimpsing a polar cap of Mars♂ as well as the large dark area Syrtis Major. Although the 2020-2021 apparition has been in progress for some time and will continue through the summer of 2021, leisure viewing by beginning skygazers should take place between 30 May and 10 January when the magnitude (brightness) of Mars♂ rivals—and ultimately exceeds—that of the brightest stars.
In order to take full advantage of this opportunity (which will not return for another seventeen years) one should perform several important tasks…
- Secure a good binocular from a reputable local store.
- Attend at least one BRAS Public Meeting (the next ones are 11 May and 8 June) and at least one Plus Night (preferably 25 July, 29 August or 26 September) at the Highland Road Park Observatory. This will allow congregating with other local amateurs to compare notes, suggest photography possibilities and the best filters.
- Utilize this timeline.
Key Magnitude and Apparent Size Dates
- ~Sat 30 May = magnitude reaches 0.0
- ~Wed 1 Jul = magnitude reaches -0.5
- ~Tue 7 Jul = apparent size exceeds 12" [!]
- ~Tue 28 Jul = magnitude reaches -1.0
- ~Thu 6 Aug = apparent size exceeds 15"
- ~Wed 19 Aug = magnitude reaches -1.5 [!]
- ~Tue 25 Aug = apparent size exceeds 18" [!!]
- ~Wed 9 Sep = magnitude reaches -2.0 [!!]
- ~Sat 19 Sep = apparent size exceeds 21"
- ~Thu 1 Oct = magnitude reaches -2.5 [!!!]
- Tue 6 Oct, 9:19 am = Mars♂’ Closest Approach (22.6")
- Tue 13 Oct, 6:30 pm to 12:30 am = Great Martian Opposition {mag -2.62}
- *This is the night HRPO will be open to the public.
- ~Mon 19 Oct = last nighttime period for -2.5
- ~Fri 23 Oct = last nighttime period for 21"
- ~Wed 4 Nov = last nighttime period for -2.0
- ~Tue 10 Nov = last nighttime period for 18"
- ~Thu 19 Nov = last nighttime period for -1.5
- ~Mon 30 Nov = last nighttime period for 15"
- ~Fri 4 Dec = last nighttime period for -1.0
- ~Fri 18 Dec = last nighttime period for 12"
- ~Mon 21 Dec = last nighttime period for -0.5
- ~Sun 10 Jan = last nighttime period for 0.0
For additional information such as Mars♂’ motions through the sky, conjunctions with the Moon and other bodies, Baton Rouge rise times, constellation locations, Martian seasons and the latest Martian photography from this incredible apparition, please go to…
http://www.brastro.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3077
