Stargazing
on Mars
Top Page
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Stargazing
on
MARS
Your imaginary observatory location,
360 degrees unobstructed view,
True dark sky.
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Environment on Mars
• Thin atmosphere, no industrial smog, no light pollution,
• Excellent seeing and transparency (in absence of sand storms, etc.).
• Average temperature on Mars is -63ºC/-81.4ºF
• Atmosphere is composed of 95.32% carbon dioxid and 7.2% nitrogen
• Average atmospheric pressure is 0.007 bars (about 1/100th of Earth)
• Gravity is 0.379 of Earth's.
• A year on Mars is 1.881x of Earth, a day is about 40 minutes longer.
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Different Constellations?
It’s only a small step to Mars, but no giant leap into space.
Therefore, the constellations appear like as seen from Earth.
Reason being:
Parallax angles to Proxima Centauri:
on 1 AU base (Earth orbit): 0.773”
on 1.524AU base (Mars orbit): 1.178”
Mars Rover Spirit’s image of Orion as viewed from 15 deg southern latitude on Mars.
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Mars’s Polar Axis
North
South
RA: 21h10m43s, Dec: 52º53’09
RA: 09h10m43s, Dec: -52º53’09
• The orientation of Mars’s axis is different from Earth,
• Mars has no obvious Pole Stars,
• Inclination to ecliptic is 1.85º – same zodiac constellations,
but different equinoxes and solstices,
• Mars, too, is subjected to precession and axial tilt variation.
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Observing the Martian Moons
Moon Orbits to-scale
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Observing the Martian Moons
Apparent Angular Sizes
Influence of altitude
Influence of latitude
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Observing the Martian Moons
Fact Sheet
Phobos (‘fear’)
Deimos (‘panic’)
Image: Viking 2 Orbiter
Image: Viking Orbiter
27 x 22 x 18 km
15 x 12 x 11 km
Surface distance
5,980 km
20,060 km
Center distance
9,378 km
23,459 km
12.58’
2.43’
-9mv max.
-5.5mv max.
0.32 days
1.26 days
Dimensions
Apparent size*
Visual magnitude
Orbit period
Axial rotation of Mars: 1.026 days
rises in the west
*In the meridian on 45º latitude,
measured on longest axis.
Angular size variations:
Phobos: 45%,
Deimos: 1.8’ to 2.6’
Image: Phobos-2, Feb 28, 1989
Image: Viking 2, h=30km, 1.2km wide
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Observing Mars from its Moons
From Phobos
Simulated view on Valles Marineris
FOV: 120º
Mars’ angular size: 42.5º
(85x the full Earth moon)
From Deimos
Simulated view on the Hellas region
FOV: 120º
Mars’ angular size: 16.7º
(33x the full Earth moon)
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
From Moon to Moon
Influence of relative orbit position
Visibility Condition
Phobos: 8.2º E/W elongation
Deimos: 20º E/W elongation
Apparent Sizes
Min Distance
Max Distance
Phobos
6.59’
2.83’
Deimos
3.66
1.57
• An exciting performance of fast changes,
• Observing Phobos from Deimos is most dynamic
• Phobos - Deimos minimum distance is 14,081km,
• Phobos - Deimos maximum distance is 32,837km.
Stargazing
on Mars
Solar Eclipses on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Phobos Eclipse
Mars Rover Opportunity
On March 10, 2004
• Sun size is 2/3rd
• Phobos’s is half of Earth Moon
Deimos Eclipse
Mars Rover Opportunity
On sol 39 of its mission
• Sun size is 2/3rd
• Deimos size is half of Phobos
Phobos eclipse shadow
Mars Global Surveyor. August 26, 1999 over
Western Xanthe Terra. 250km (155mi across)
• Eclipses occur several times a day
• No total eclipses on Mars
• Less spectacular than on Earth
Stargazing
on Mars
Observing Earth from Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
• Earth is an inner planet,
• Shows phases like Venus/Mercury,
• Mean greatest elongation is 41º,
• Earth transits observable but rare.
(last: May 11, 1984; next: Nov 10, 2084)
Mars Global Surveyor. May 8, 2003 13:00 UTC
Earth of the Past
• Earth-Mars light time varies between
3 and 22 minutes.
• In 22 minutes Earth rotates 5.5º
towards East (1º in 4 minutes).
Venus transit in 2004. Courtesy K. Spencer.
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Imaging on Mars
Our Mars Observatory
Mars Rover Spirit
Spirit’s two panoramic CCD cameras.
Spirit’s field of view
• Location:
• Mounting:
• Pixel area:
• Field of view:
• Resolution:
• Equivalent:
• Cost:
Gusev Crater, 15º south of equator
altazimuth, no tracking
1,024 x 1,024 pixels
16.8º
59” per pixel
35mm SLR with 125mm lens
400 million US$, excluding shipment
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Imaging on Mars
Orion
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Imaging on Mars
Phobos and Deimos
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Imaging on Mars
Phobos and Deimos
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Imaging on Mars
Phobos Lunar Eclipse
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Imaging on Mars
South Celestial Pole Region
Stargazing
on Mars
Cover Page
Environment
Constellations
Polar Axis
Observing Moons
Observing Mars
Moon to Moon
Solar Eclipses
Earth from Mars
Imaging on Mars
Back to Earth
Back to Earth – Thank You!