TES NEWS Volume 3, Number 4, November - December 1994

MARS AT OPPOSITION IN FEBRUARY 1995

Mars makes its closest approach to Earth (known as "opposition") every 25 - 26 months. Mars is visible in the Arizona skies over the next several months, with the closest approach on February 11, 1995. Mars will grow in brightness through December and January. Look for it in the constellation Leo in December.

Because there are no spacecraft visiting Mars right now, scientists will be using the Hubble Space Telescope and a variety of telescopes on Earth to obtain spectral observations and monitor weather conditions. Amateur astronomers will participate in a scientific observation project, Marswatch, coordinated by Dr. Jim Bell at the NASA Ames Research Center in California.

Back to Contents of TES News November - December 1994

Edited by: K. S. Edgett

Arizona Mars K-12 Education Program / edgett@elvis.mars.asu.edu