THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:After the Blood Moon, it’s time for the Mars show. The Red Planet is at its closest point to earth in 15 years and the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum (KSSTM) in the capital city is organising a series of viewings this week.
The position of Mars as opposed to the earth in end-July is such that the fourth planet is only 5.7 crore kilometres from earth at its nearest approach. Mars makes close approaches to earth every 15 or 17 years, but this is the first time since 2003 that the Red Planet is arriving this close, officials of KSSTM, which functions under the Education Department, said.
‘’It will look very big and bright in the night sky over the next four-five days. It’s the right time to view the planet,’’ KSSTM director Arul Jerald Prakash said. KSSTM is planning viewing parties over the next five evenings using some of its more powerful telescopes so that the public can have ‘close contacts’ with earth’s neighbour, which, in fact, is quite a familiar planet thanks to the ‘Mangalyaan’ programme of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
On each of the five days starting Tuesday, KSSTM plans to allow 100 people to view the planet using its telescopes. ‘’Entry will be restricted to 100 tickets. The viewing will be held between 6.30 pm and 8 pm on all days,’’ Arul Jerald Prakash said.
KSSTM plans to use its high-magnification Celestron telescopes for the viewing which will allow examination of the Martian polar regions. KSSTM had organised a late-night viewing during the lunar eclipse on Friday night which also had the distinction of being the longest one in hundred years. Although telescopes or binoculars are not really necessary for viewing lunar eclipses, KSSTM had arranged six-inch and 11-inch Celestron telescopes to allow closer examination. Mars will come this close to earth again only in 2035.