Mars begins its retreat
Posted in Current Events, General, Stargazing on February 22nd, 2010 by Peter LipscombOver the past couple of weeks, I spent more time trying to get images of Mars during its current apparition. Snowy weather and poor atmospheric conditions presented some challenges. But, I finally managed to make a decent capture last week. Compared to the image I made in late January, last week’s image already shows the disc of the planet has decreased in size and shadow is creeping in on the following, or morning, side of Mars. As Mars gradually becomes more distant, the shadow will appear to grow as the sunlit parts of Mars are seen by Earthbound observers at an increasingly oblique angle.
