THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
207-780-4249 www.usm.maine.edu/planet
70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103
43.6667° N, 70.2667° W
Founded January 1970
"A molecule in a bubble in a pond in a forest at the edge of a continent on a planet tucked away amongst myriad worlds, innumerable stars, gathered in one of billions of galaxies. But, we're still here."207-780-4249 www.usm.maine.edu/planet
70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103
43.6667° N, 70.2667° W
Founded January 1970
Saturn, Antares and Mars!
Two planets and one star rising in early evening. Together, they form a beautiful triangle rising in the early evening. Mars, having just reached opposition on May 22, is up just before sunset. Saturn emerges at 8:40 p.m. and then Antares follows at 8:49 p.m. As they will all set after sunrise, this celestial trinity will remain visible for the rest of the night. The image below shows their approximate configuration.
Antares is the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion, a distinctive southern constellation that rises into prominence between mid spring and early autumn, Scorpius is one of those beautiful constellations which actually resembles its namesake. A small curved arc of stars defines its western edge. This arc represents the scorpion's head. Its formidable claws now form the adjacent constellation Libra the Scales.* The scorpion's curved body descends toward the horizon and then curls upward, its eastern edge marked by a lethal stinger.
Antares, a red supergiant star so large it could accommodate more than 300 million Sun-sized spheres, appears to be the dimmest of the three bodies. At a magnitude of 0.96, it appears 2.5 times dimmer than Saturn, nearly 17 times dimmer than Mars. Ironically, the name "Antares" literally means, "Rival to Mars," as they both appear red. To our eyes, Antares isn't much of a rival. However, intrinsically, Mars is no match for Antares, which is more than 800 trillion times larger in volume! Antares' apparent dimness is merely a result of its distance, as it is more than 440 light years away. Mars is about three light minutes away, and so has the advantage of proximity.
Mars has nearly attained its maximum brightness for the year. Although Mars will remain visible in our evening sky throughout the remainder of 2016, by the end of the summer, it will be six times dimmer than it is now. By New Year's Day, it will be 15 times dimmer. This brightness diminishment is entirely the results of its increasing distance from both Earth and the Sun.
Saturn is almost at its maximum brightness as well since it will reach opposition on June 3rd. Even at maximum, Saturn is dimmer than Mars. However, like Mars, Saturn's light doesn't scintillate (or twinkle) as stars do. Moreover, Saturn is currently slightly brighter than Vega, so it is still easy to find, especially now as it appears so close to both Mars and Antares. Observers equipped with telescopes or even binoculars might want to seize this opportunity to see a magnified image of the planets, whose rings are clearly visible in telescopes and in binoculars will at least appear as knobs on either side of the planet.
Some triangles, such as the Summer Triangle (Vega, Deneb and Altair) and the Winter Triangle (Betelgeuse, Sirius and Procyon) persist for thousands of years as they consist of stars. SAM's triangle will be far more fleeting, as wandering planets mark two of its points. Find this beautiful triplet over the next few weeks in the evening eastern or post midnight western sky.
*Scorpius was once part of a double constellation which included Scorpius and
Chelae the Scorpion’s Claws. Some say that Julius Caesar detached Chelae to form Libra the Scales, thereby establishing twelve zodiac signs, equal to the number of months in his calendar. According to other sources, this detachment occurred after Caesar's assassination. Romans chose to create Libra in his honor.
Chelae the Scorpion’s Claws. Some say that Julius Caesar detached Chelae to form Libra the Scales, thereby establishing twelve zodiac signs, equal to the number of months in his calendar. According to other sources, this detachment occurred after Caesar's assassination. Romans chose to create Libra in his honor.
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Planetary occultations (when one planet moves directly in front
of the other) are quite rare. The last time Mars occulted Saturn was
on February 7, 1522 AD/CE!
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