The Washington herald., 1922-06-02
MARS NEARING EARTH
IN NORTHEAST HEAVENS

The hery red planet Mars. fre
10 arrive at opposition TO the 81
on June 10. may now be seen ris-
ing above the southeastern horizon
between and 10 O'Clock NJ
the evening. On May Is Mars
crossed the meridian about m
and on May 81 about 1870 a. nd
Eastern standard tIme). rs zisl
tance from the earth is dec-ass n :
rapidly as is evident from is r. MD
increase in brightness at this ti-ne.
On May Is it's distance from th<,
earth is s1.2oo.ooo miles and
May 81. t4.soO.0co miles Its nea
est approach to the earth ror N
apparition Will be on June Is. eiri
DAYS after its opposition n u
sun II Will then be 4225O.oi
miles from the earth. This is a
nearest approach ~ Mars 70 N
earth since the favorable oppos
tion Of 1909. At the newt oppos
tion OF Mars in 1924 the plan
will he less than 35.non. no NIT
from the earth. which is very clod
To its least possible distance.
From now on unril June Is whs
its brightness reaches a rnaNimuu
Mars will rival or surnaSs S.-iu$
tho brightest Of the stars. ana Ju-}
ter. ordinarily, with the eNceptid
Of Venus. the brightest ~ tie
planets. On MAY 81 the estimate
brightness of Mars win he identicel
with that Of Sirius and IN Nav g
Il will equal that of Jupiter Afia-
that. Mars will continue to tncress-
rapidly in brightness until June *
while Jupiter. which passed its or.
position 10 the sun IN April. IS d-.
creasing slowly in hrichtnces :
Jupiter will he found a. this tir7-
lit.le 70 the west Of the ner'dis1
Ry July 30 Mars will again ~
equal to Jupiter in brightness and
during the remainder of the sum
r,e- will decrease noticeahly il
brightness rs its distance from IN
earth continues tn Increase on~'
more. BY September Mars wi
be $1,000. 600 miles from the eartH
II is impossible 10 mis'a'5e Ma
for any other object IN the hesvo~
at this time. owing 10 itS unusu
brightness and its fiery red colo-
Though IL is not now far d'stsu
from Antares in Scorpio. the r'vr
Of Mars, which strongly resenh,s
Il in color. there IS no ccmnaris
between the two IN brightness at -
present time. Yet So greatly doc
Mars change in appearance in dif
ferent parts Of its orbit that the 1
are times when Antares is identi
cal with Mars in brightness as wei
as in color.
At its present arparition Mars q
So far south that Il is not in
favorable position for ohservat n
in the northern hemisphr. As
tronomers in northern latitudes ar
therefore counting on the Observes
of IN southern hemisphere In Soutl
Africa. South America and Australs ]
to make careful observations Of a
markings on the planet In I'D
and July. Mars will be nearly in M
zenith in 2e degrees south latijud4
II is now late summer and carl
fall in the northern hemisphere 4
Mars and both hemispheres Of thI
planet will be we'll placed for ohser
walton. As it is not the season wheI
tn Marithan canals are numerou
observers Of Mars are planning 4
observe chiefly changes in the morI
conspicuous markings Of the planet
the appearance of frost and enovj
storms and the spread of veget I
tion northward in the southe-
hemisphere. The green color Of n
southern maria. which are helievs|
to he tracts OF vegetation. Is e}
rected to be very noticeable IN
var. The north polar cap h
disappeared at this time. but
south polar cap will he very co
spicuous-By Isabel VI. Lewis.
U. s. Naval Observatory.
1 " d