Sunset Planets
Mars and Saturn are meeting at a particular place with Venus to form a skinny triangle in the sunset sky in the West. When the sun sets tonight, go outside and look West.

Venus pops out of the twilight first, followed by Saturn, then Mars by binoculars or a small telescope.

See the SkyMap for tonight (Monday 26th July 2010), also Friday 30th July 2010 and Saturday 31st July 2010 when Saturn and Mars are only 2^o apart.

Like Earth, most of the smaller planets in our Solar System have a solid surface made of rock.  However Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, the four biggest planets, are made of gases!

Could we breathe on any other planets in our Solar System?
No.  One of Saturn’s moons (Titan), may have an atmosphere made of nitrogen gas that making four-fifths of Earth’s atmosphere). However to stay alive that Human needs oxygen.

Is there life on other planets?
All of the planets in the Solar System have been explored with telescopes and space probes – So far, nothing living has been found. The other planets in our system all seem to be too hot, too cold or made completely of gases.

Are there mountains, valleys and volcanoes on other planets?
Yes, Most solid planets have geographical features like Earth.
Scientists have found deserts , polar areas, mountains and valleys on Mars.
Volcanoes have been found on Venus, Mars and Io (one of the Jupiter’s moons).
The biggest volcano in the Solar System – Mount Olympus is on Mars – 16 miles high! and 400 miles wide!

Above the image was captured by Miguel Claro, Portugal.
(Derekscope’s archives :- Thursday 15th July 2010.)

The 5.67 days old Crescent Moon is below Saturn as they form a right-angle (90`) with Mars at 22:00 / 10pm tonight.

See the SkyMap.

Click here for enlarge image.

Visible from March through June, Leo (The Lion) is the dominant constellation of the northern spring sky.  It’s easy to find.

Just look for the sickle-shaped group of stars high in the southern sky after sunset.  The sickle spans about 12 degrees… just a little wider than your fist at arms length.

The west-facing sickle, which makes up the head and mane of the lion, consists of the bright stars epsilon Leonis, Rasalhas, Adhafera, Algieba, eta Leonis, and, at the bottom, the icy-white star Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo (The Lion).  About 15 degrees east, look for the little triangle of stars Zosma, Chertan, and Denebola that make up the haunches and tail.

See a map of Leo (The Lion), showing the position of Mars on Saturday 22 May 2010, along with galaxies M65, M66, NGC 3628 and NGC 2903.

Click here for enlarge image.

The Moon is south of the Star Regulus in the constellation of Leo (The Lion) between the Ring Planet (Saturn) and the Red Planet (Mars), making a great photo opportunity. (for example)

Click here for enlarge image.

See the First Quarter Moon near Mars and the Beehive Cluster that will be great opportunity for astrophotography to capture the Moon near the Red Planet – Mars and the Open Cluster -Beehive Cluster (Messier 44).

UPDATED @ 20:30 / 8.30pm :- The photo is added below.

1) Mars meets Beehive Cluster @ 21:00 / 9pm

Click here for enlarge image.

DON’T MISS – seeing Mars at it’s closet approach to the Beehive Cluster (Messier 44) in the constellation of Cancer (The Crab) this evening until the 24th April 2010.

The Red Planet – Mars, lies just 1.4 degrees north of the cluster tonight, making a great photo opportunity in the southwest  -  easily spot through a binocular.

2) Look at the West @ 21:00 / 9pm

Look at the West from 21:00 / 9pm to locate Venus at low horizon that a few degrees above it will be a waxing crescent Moon (2.27 days old and 6% lit) plus the `Seven Sisters` or `The Pleiades` (Messier 45) Open Cluster lies just above and to the left of the Moon.

Watch out for the Earthshine, good opportunity for photo! – see my photo.

HERE TO BE ADDED MY BELOW PHOTO, it was captured by Derek Rowley at Milton Keynes at  21:00 / 9pm tonight, as you see the white dot below the Moon, this is a planet – Venus.
Click here for enlarge image.

Compare the `redness` of Aldebaran, Betelgeuse and Mars this evening in the SouthWest.

Aldebaran – A red giant star which varies irregularly in brightness between magnitudes 0.75 and 0.95 in the constellation of Taurus (The Bull) – see Derekscope Guide :- Wednesday 17th February 2010.

Betelgeuse – A red supergiant star of variable brightness, ranging from about magnitude 0 to 1.3 every 6 years or so, the star actually lies on the Hunter’s shoulder in the constellation of Orion (The Hunter). More information about Betelgeuse.

Mars – This planet is often called The Red Planet because it is covered by red deserts, so it’s a small, rocky planet that in some ways is similar to Earth. It has a 24-hour day, a pattern of seasons that resembles our own, and polar ice-caps. See Derekscope Guide:- Thursday 28th January 2010.

See the SkyMap.

Mars has two small moons called Phobos (average diameters of about 14 miles) and Deimons (average of diameter of about 6 miles) – both moons are irregularly shaped and are thought to be asteroids that have been pulled into orbit around Mars by planet’s (Mars) gravity.

Phobos and Deimos are faint to be seen by a large telescope.

Close-up photographs from Space Probe s have shown that both are heavily cratered.

See the SkyMap.

Mars is at Opposition tonight.
(See the diagram:- Opposition)
See the Astronomy Picture of the Day

M44 Beehive is the centre between the Mars and the Full Moon.

See the SkyMap.

Today at 7pm, it was a clear skies that I used my telescope looking at the Mars where I see the ice-cap and a dark feature area of Mars.  And using my 11×80 binocular easily to spot M44 between the brightest Full Moon and Mars. (My telescope was really glowing in white by the Moon shining.)