Spring has greeted the midwest with warmer weather and the planet Mars in the eastern sky near zenith. After sunset the orange/red planet is easily spotted as it tracks to the south west before midnight. Mars is in retrograde motion and resumes an eastward motion through April as it nears conjuction with M44 next month.
Using a 10" Dob with a 5mm eyepiece, the red planet is impressive in size but unimpressive in its detail. Though viewing conditions have been terrible, I was unable to make out any dark or light patterns or the pre-noted polar ice caps. Nevertheless, Mars is unmistakable and beautiful even without detail. Darker skies will no doubt reveal more secrets.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after Mars, the Roman god of war. It is also referred to as the "Red Planet" because of its reddish appearance, due to iron oxide prevalent on its surface. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the volcanoes, valleys, deserts and polar ice caps of Earth. Unlike the Earth, Mars is now a geologically inactive planet with no known tectonic activity. It is the site of Olympus Mons, the highest known mountain in the Solar System, and of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon - wikipedia
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