4.08.2014

Mars bright in the sky tonight!




























Mars will be in opposition to the Sun tonight making it shine brightly in the sky. Look for a huge reddish star rising after the Moon. You could almost call it a "Full Mars" instead of a "Full Moon" because it's kind of the same thing. When the Moon is full it's because it's directly opposite the Sun and is completely illuminated by the Sun - this will happen tonight with the planet Mars.

Astrologically we are waxing towards a Full Moon in Libra next week which will set off a huge Grand Cross in the sky. Try to wrap stuff up emotionally charged stuff THIS week if you can. Next week could be volatile.

From Astronomy.com

Tuesday, April 8
Mars lies opposite the Sun in our sky today and reaches its peak visibility for 2014. The Red Planet appears low in the east as darkness falls and grows more prominent as the evening wears on and it climbs higher. By 1 a.m. local daylight time, it stands halfway to the zenith in the southern sky. Mars lies among the background stars of central Virgo, 7° north-northwest of that constellation’s brightest star, 1st-magnitude Spica. The planet shines at magnitude –1.5, some 10 times brighter than the star. In fact, Mars hasn’t been this bright since December 2007. When viewed through a telescope, the planet’s ocher-colored disk spans 15" and shows significant detail. The most obvious feature should be the white north polar cap. Learn more about observing the Red Planet with "Explore Mars this month."

The Moon reaches apogee, the farthest point in its orbit around Earth, at 10:52 a.m. EDT. It then lies 251,344 miles (404,500 kilometers) from Earth’s center.

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