What’s up in the sky December ‘07
As it does about every two and a quarter years, Mars will have a close approach with Earth this December. This will be its closest approach until the year 2016. 2003 was the best opportunity to view Mars in our life time, the closest approach in 60,000 years. However it occured in August so Mars was low in the sky for observers in the northern hemisphere. Look for Mars to start out near the eastern horizon at sunset the first few weeks of this month. On Dec. 18 Mars will be high overhead for good viewing and on Dec. 24 Mars will be at opposition.
Mars has been traveling eastward through the constellations since January when it was in Ophiuchus. Now it is in Gemini. Around November 1st it began looping slightly up and westward. By December 1st this should become more obvious. We understand what is happening. The Earth’s orbit is nearly a perfect circle, closer to the Sun. Mars, further from the Sun has a larger and very eliptical orbit. We are passing Mars and after Dec. 18th we will be looking at it in our rear view mirror. This will cause Mars to perform what appears to be a loop among the stars. The red planet began retrograde motion Nov. 16th, and it will continue until Jan 31,’08. It becomes easier to understand why the Geocentric idea of the solar system held on for so long. Mars is performing what Ptolemaic astronomers called an epicycle. Mars moving in its deferent (large circle) around the Earth is making a small circle (epicycle). The biblical wheel within a wheel.
One member of our club, Jim Melka, has been studying Mars since 1971. Jim’s pictures of Mars are on our web site. He has given our members a wealth of information regarding Mars. It was in ‘71 that a large dust storm was discovered on Mars just after opposition, and Jim may have been one the first amateurs to see it. In June of this year Jim discovered his second dust storm. This time Mars was a dot of 6.2 arc seconds in the scope. Pictures Jim took of this storm on Mars were published in "Reflector" magazine Sept. 2007 issue, and the Jan. 2008 issue of "Sky and Telescope."
Jim got interested in astronomy as a fifth or sixth grader. A Great Aunt gave him a two and a quarter inch refracting telescope, an antique. It was made with collapsing sections whose origin may have been from the Columbian Exposition of 1892, held in Chicago.
In 1954, Jim, a sixth grade student, joined the St. Louis Astronomy Society. His father drove him to the meetings. Jim says he still remembers the excitement of getting his first issue of "Sky and Telescope" magazine that year. When he was a sophomore in high school Jim made a six inch f/8 Newtonian telescope, grinding the mirror for it himself. He still uses this scope at star parties today. Now for his observations Jim uses a 12 inch f/4.2 Newtonian.
After he graduated from St. Louis University in ‘64, Jim worked for McDonnell Aircraft. In 1988, during a Mars apparition, Jim took a three week vacation for the opportunity to work as an observer and recorder for Lowell Observatory at Mauna Kea, in Hawaii. Jim took pictures of Mars at the top of every hour through the 24" scope for the observatory. Then for the remaining time he was able to attach his 35mm camera to the 24" and take pictures for himself.
Working out of his back yard, now Jim has gone digital and is producing quality pictures of Mars. To see them click on Jim Melka’s pages on this web site.
Jim is a member of the Eureka Observers Club,SLAS, ASEM, and a life time member of the Boeing Employees Amateur Astronomy Club.
Of interest this month:
Dec 1 At dawn the last quarter Moon is just below Saturn .
Dec 9 New Moon.
Dec 13-15 The Geminid meteor shower. Predicted to be very active, the Moon is favorable.
Dec 18 Mars in closest approach until 2016.
Dec 21-22 winter solstice, longest night of the year for Northern Hemisphere.
Dec 23 Full Moon.
Dec 24 Mars is at opposition to the sun, Mars will rise at sunset and set around sunrise.
Dec 27-28 The Moon appears close to Regulus 9 p.m. CST.
