2008 Woodie Awards
Earth - Mars Opposition
Aaron Fetterman
Issue date: 11/7/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Mars Opposition occurs when Mars makes its closest approach to Earth. When Earth passes Mars, astronomers call the event an "opposition." During an opposition, the Sun, Earth, and Mars form a straight line with Earth in the middle. Viewed from Earth, Mars is on the opposite side of the sky from the sun. Opposition is the time in each 26-month cycle when Mars and Earth are closest together. Mars was face-on to Earth and opposite the sun. Even without looking through the telescope, and looking plain into the night sky you could see Mars. Although it was just a dot, it was the brightest dot in the sky.
Through a telescope, Mars was a small white circle with a little orange visible on the outer surface. Professor Jan Wojcik explained about the constellations. He spoke about the stars that form the Summer Triangle, or the "V," the brightest stars in the night sky. He pointed out the little Dipper, the constellation Aries, as well as Hercules and the Great Square of Pegasus. Wojcik also told about the story behind the group of stars named Andromeda, who was the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus, King of Ethiopia. The mother thought she and her daughter were more beautiful than any of Poseidon's many nymphs. However, Poseidon decided to punish the vain mother by chaining her daughter naked to a rock to be sacrificed to a dreadful sea monster, Because of Cassiopeia's vanity, he placed her in a chair which revolves around the Pole Star, so half the time she is obliged to sit upside down. Perseus, fresh from slaying the Gorgon Medusa, was passing by and, attracted by Andromeda's beauty, agreed with Cepheus and Cassiopeia to rescue her on the term that he could marry Andromeda afterwards. Perseus skimmed over the water, thus confusing the monster, and then cut off the monster's head. The wedding followed soon afterwards. At the wedding, relatives disrupted the proceedings. In the following confrontation both Cassiopeia and Cepheus lost their lives. Poseidon put them both in the heavens. Much later Andromeda was put in the same region of the sky, between mother and father.
Besides viewing Mars, a lot of people there were stargazing. Throughout the night, the Clarkson Stargazers shared some of their knowledge of Mars. Andrew Bingham gave a short powerpoint presentation on what Mars looks like and why it looks the way it does. Later on, Norman Marshall gave another power point presentation on the Mars Opposition, and what everyone was out shivering to see.
Throughout the night, hot apple cider was served in ROARS to warm people up and the Clarkson Stargazers were selling t-shirts for $10.00. The main attraction of the night, though, was Mars.
Through a telescope, Mars was a small white circle with a little orange visible on the outer surface. Professor Jan Wojcik explained about the constellations. He spoke about the stars that form the Summer Triangle, or the "V," the brightest stars in the night sky. He pointed out the little Dipper, the constellation Aries, as well as Hercules and the Great Square of Pegasus. Wojcik also told about the story behind the group of stars named Andromeda, who was the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus, King of Ethiopia. The mother thought she and her daughter were more beautiful than any of Poseidon's many nymphs. However, Poseidon decided to punish the vain mother by chaining her daughter naked to a rock to be sacrificed to a dreadful sea monster, Because of Cassiopeia's vanity, he placed her in a chair which revolves around the Pole Star, so half the time she is obliged to sit upside down. Perseus, fresh from slaying the Gorgon Medusa, was passing by and, attracted by Andromeda's beauty, agreed with Cepheus and Cassiopeia to rescue her on the term that he could marry Andromeda afterwards. Perseus skimmed over the water, thus confusing the monster, and then cut off the monster's head. The wedding followed soon afterwards. At the wedding, relatives disrupted the proceedings. In the following confrontation both Cassiopeia and Cepheus lost their lives. Poseidon put them both in the heavens. Much later Andromeda was put in the same region of the sky, between mother and father.
Besides viewing Mars, a lot of people there were stargazing. Throughout the night, the Clarkson Stargazers shared some of their knowledge of Mars. Andrew Bingham gave a short powerpoint presentation on what Mars looks like and why it looks the way it does. Later on, Norman Marshall gave another power point presentation on the Mars Opposition, and what everyone was out shivering to see.
Throughout the night, hot apple cider was served in ROARS to warm people up and the Clarkson Stargazers were selling t-shirts for $10.00. The main attraction of the night, though, was Mars.