Sky ward. 3 planets visible along with Earth's moon.

Mars beams; Venus, Jupiter rendezvous 3 neighbors go out of their way to dazzle sky watchers - David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Three planets are putting on a brilliant double feature in the skies over Northern California this week as Mars, Venus and Jupiter move into unusual positions overhead.

At midnight tonight, wherever fog hasn't blotted out the rest of the visible universe, Mars will appear brighter than any star in the sky. Bay Area residents can find it shining beneath a gibbous moon -- the nearly full moon that has just begun to wane -- long after Venus and Jupiter have set below the western horizon.

On most nights, Venus and Jupiter are the brightest of all planets in the solar system, but their star status is not being completely eclipsed by Mars. As it turns out, they're putting on a show of their own, giving the impression that they're drawing closer and closer together, and by next Thursday, they will look to earthbound observers as if they're almost kissing, astronomers say.

The unusual sights are due to the orbits of the planets in their regular procession around the sun. But even the ordinary can offer rewards to anyone willing to look upward, said Andrew Fraknoi, chairman of the astronomy department at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills.
"Astronomers like to provide spectacles whenever they can," Fraknoi said, "and this week the planets are gladly cooperating."

Sky watchers, whether equipped with binoculars, store-bought telescopes or observant eyes, will see Mars shining brightly tonight as long as they're willing to wait until the hours around midnight. The Red Planet can be found by locating the tip of the moon, which will be pointing directly downward toward it.

"You won't be able to miss the sight of Mars," Fraknoi said, "because the moon will show you right where it is."

And much earlier each evening in the days ahead, Venus and Jupiter will appear strikingly near each other on their way to their seeming rendezvous near the star Spica in the constellation Virgo, the Virgin. They can be seen less than an hour after sunset and very low in the southwestern sky.

Each night, they will be moving closer together, while Mars grows brighter.
Mars is growing brighter now because it's actually moving closer to Earth, the result of two planets traveling on different paths around the sun and at different speeds.

Earth's orbit carries it closer to the sun than Mars at a rate of speed more than 23,000 mph faster. Because of the shorter, speedier orbit, Earth takes just 365 days to travel once around the sun. Mars needs 687 Earth days to do the same thing. So roughly every two years, Earth appears to catch up with Mars like two racers on concentric tracks, and when that happens the positions of Earth and Mars appear to lie in a straight line opposite the sun -- a lineup astronomers call opposition.

That opposition will not be complete until Oct. 31, when the two planets will be only 43 million miles apart.

Rumors are flying around the Internet that at the time of opposition Mars will be so big and bright that it will rival the moon both in size and brilliance.
The rumor is nonsense, said Fraknoi.

It started with an anonymous e-mail circulating among amateur astronomers that claims the planet is brighter than it has been in 5,000 years and "will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.''

"Share this with your children and grandchildren," the e-mail urges. "No one alive will ever see this again!"

Astronomers have no idea where the e-mail originated and say Mars during this year's opposition will resemble itself during the last opposition in August 2003, although perhaps not shining quite as brightly. Two years ago, the planet appeared brighter than it had in thousands of years, said Fraknoi, but it was still only a tiny bright point in the sky; not a moonlike disk at all.

Mars was actually only 35 million miles from Earth then -- and may not be closer to Earth than that for another 60,000 years, according to the calculations of NASA astronomers.
As for Venus and Jupiter, those two planets are actually nowhere near each other. Venus, running around the sun inside Earth's orbit, is roughly 106 million miles away these days, while Jupiter is some 575 million miles away on an orbit far beyond Earth's path.

But the result is that Venus is rapidly catching up with Jupiter on their orbital race, and by Sept. 1 the two will appear to earthlings as though they are actually touching each other, according to the calculations of the astronomers.

E-mail David Perlman at dperman@sfchronicle.com.
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©2005 San Francisco Chronicle

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Comment: For those among us who look to the sky for divining the great mysteries, how different are our and our predecessors speculation in viewing the presence of 3 bright, some colored, presence in the skies?

From nine planets.org
by Bill Arnett
seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/nineplanets.html
Venus (Greek: Aphrodite; Babylonian: Ishtar) is the goddess of love and beauty. The planet is so named probably because it is the brightest of the planets known to the ancients
Mars (Greek: Ares) is the god of War. The planet probably got this name due to its red color; Mars is sometimes referred to as the Red Planet. (An interesting side note: the Roman god Mars was a god of agriculture before becoming associated with the Greek Ares; those in favor of colonizing and terraforming Mars may prefer this symbolism.) The name of the month March derives from Mars.
Jupiter (a.k.a. Jove; Greek Zeus) was the King of the Gods, the ruler of Olympus and the patron of the Roman state. Zeus was the son of Cronus (Saturn).


Text © Copyright 2005 Rob Couteau
Venus: The interpersonal soul
The desire to achieve a symmetry, balance, and harmony of feeling is a key­note of the Venus effect. Venus rules the diplomatic instinct, which seeks to "smooth things over": to restore a sense of unity between discordant elements so that "outer harmonies" trigger an internal harmony, as well.
Mars: The interpersonal self
Mars rules action and adventure: initiating movement and selecting a direction that leads to greater accomplishment
Jupiter: The societal soul
Jupiter rules the impetus to expand the range of opportunity and life experience: to "expand one’s horizons."

Ahhh New York (Rave)

A Dispatch NYC 2005

A Friday supper at an Eastern European (Hungarian?) Restaurant in the East Village, 19th and 2nd Avenue. After a conference call with California colleagues.

Saturday at the MOMA, recently reopened after extensive renovation, an afternoon beer at the rooftop of the Metropolitan, and dinner at a No Italian Restaurant uptown. The city of enclaves, to soothe the teeming humanity that is here.

Cezanne and Pissaro, a look at their creative production, mid way through their career. Pissaro, in the shadows of the better known peer, is far technically (brush stroke, composition, an end vision for his work) advanced. Cezanne, emotional, impulsive -had a few notable pieces in the collection of 100 or so. I appreciated their interpretations of the landscapes of the French countryside, and realized how Pisarro populated his works with people, animals to add to the life of his work.

Will need to return before my departure, to stroll through the "modernized" structure.

A beer and a birds eye view of the Park. A few comparable site could be seen. The treetops, their density, complexity in color and form, carpeting the expanse of the sightlines. One of the few places where one can see the sky. Peculiar how little a horizon is accessible here. The world can be flat.

A post museum stroll through the Upper East Side, past Park Avenue Apartments, brownstones and highrise dwellings of the near global elite, culminating with a dinner on Lexington and 86th. Fresh, not innovative, solid friendly fare.

More to come. An afternoon of shopping, a late lunch at Cafeteria and a downpour that carried through a part of the early evening.

A day of many first (Rave)

First night in town.

Find myself in one of my favorite cities in the USA, NYC, and still amazed at how many people there are: tourist, residents, visiting businessman, and students teeming in the subways, train stations, and on the streets. Oh delightful humanity.

NYC retains an aire of accessibility. Not reaking of exclusivity permeating day to day life, and hasn't achieve made for tourist veneer.

Staying at Club Quarters Downtown, a half block from Wall Street --another first, usually at the midtown branch of this scaled dormitory like business hotel. This facility can benefit from a renovation. The midtown had aesthetic punch, this is functional beige bland. Downtown, is also an area, rarely ventured too. I plan to see South seaport, Ellis Island Museum, and stroll to Wall street, Little Italy, Chinatown and SoHo in the next 4 days.

Took the New Jersey Transit Train from Newark to Penn Station. Another first, previously took an airporter bus into the Port Authority. Rode the Air Train to Rail Link. A very kind and young NJT employee gave me a free ticket, upon learning that I had purchased a $5 exit ticket from the terminal to train platform, and when inserted into the ticket machine--it did not return the ticket for train use. I woud have to pay an additional $18. He saved me an extra $13. After crossing the turnstile, he stated "you owe me one, next time you come through." Yes, indeed --a heartfelt thanks and to pass on that kindness to some other tired traveller.

This summer trip begins in NYC, usually the reverse occurs, I work in WDC, then head up. Reversed myself this time. Last year, we were here to celebrate Fran and Steve's wedding, and within a day of my return -- we learn of my father's passing. This is the first trip in an effort to "make sense" of my life again.

More to come...