Mars, the Red planet, is anyone’s interest out there from layman up to a NASA scientist.
But looking thru telescope it is not always giving the satisfying image. This could be, which I believe, almost every single astronomer’s thought out there.
Even myself using my best equipment, an 8” Newtonian Reflector, often feel disappointing with the image though I could go up to x600 of magnification. In a way the magnification normally limited to aperture of the scope. In my case the ideal magnification is x400 but I normally limiting to x240. Yet still it is disappointing looking at Mars.
Well that’s used to be the case.
It is because the planet is just half the diameter of Earth and the fact it is far away from Earth.
But the recent orbital path gives everyone from the Earth looking at Mars at the best. I am surprised for the amount details I could see after 4 days of opposition of Mars which happened on April 08, 2014. The North Pole Ice Cap and traces of its subtle differences in terrain truly amazed me.
Mars oppostion on April 08, 2014.
The image shows planet's orbit to ease user's understanding
Astronomers saying we could see the magnificent of Mars for another two of its oppositions which the last one would happen on July 27, 2018.
Unfortunately for this year, this excellent view will only last long till end of this April, 2014 . Then we can see the Mars brightness fading in the sky, as the Earth moving away from the Red planet. After this we need to wait for the next opposition which is on May 22, 2016.
The video below recorded on April 12th, 2014 midnight from Sg Kob, Kulim, Kedah.
No comments:
Post a Comment