Stargazing: Locating Leo and Mars
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If you haven't started looking for Mars in the evening sky, this week is a good time to start. After a two-year absence in the spotlight, the Red Planet, currently located in Leo, will soon take center stage when it arrives at opposition with the sun on March 3.
Mars will rise about 8:30 tonight and will climb to about 25 degrees above the eastern horizon by 10:30. Look for Mars beneath the triangle of stars that form the hindquarters of Leo the lion.
The head of the lion is outlined by what appears to be a backward "question mark" of stars. At the bottom of the question mark is Regulus, a first-magnitude star that stands out among the stars of Leo. Regulus will sit about 8 degrees to the lower left of the full moon Tuesday night. The moon will continue its trek through Leo this week and sit about 8 degrees to the lower right of Mars by Thursday evening.
First Published February 6, 2012 12:00 am
