CASPER
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The red planet Mars and a bright star are teaming up in June to offer a colorful show in the night sky for amateur astronomers.
For the first few weeks of June, Mars and the star Regulus will appear to move closer together, making them a good target for skywatchers graced with clear weather and good viewing positions.
Mars will appear halfway up in the western sky after dusk by forming a striking "double star" with the first-magnitude star Regulus from now through the middle of June. The red planet shines within 5 degrees of Regulus from May 28 to June 15. [How to measure sky distances.]
For comparison, a clenched fist held up at arm's length would cover about 10 degrees of arc in the sky. The brightness of an object in the night sky is measured as its magnitude. In the magnitude scale, a magnitude 1 star like Regulus would be 100 times brighter than a magnitude 5 star.
For the first few weeks of June, Mars and the star Regulus will appear to move closer together, making them a good target for skywatchers graced with clear weather and good viewing positions.
Mars will appear halfway up in the western sky after dusk by forming a striking "double star" with the first-magnitude star Regulus from now through the middle of June. The red planet shines within 5 degrees of Regulus from May 28 to June 15. [How to measure sky distances.]
For comparison, a clenched fist held up at arm's length would cover about 10 degrees of arc in the sky. The brightness of an object in the night sky is measured as its magnitude. In the magnitude scale, a magnitude 1 star like Regulus would be 100 times brighter than a magnitude 5 star.
