Forthcoming 2007/2008 Mars
(1)
Mars in 2007/2008. I
CMO #325 (25 November 2006)
Masatsugu MINAMI, Masami MURAKAMI
and Akinori NISHITA
00° The planet Mars in 2007
will be closest to the Earth on
01° The maximal angular
diameter δ is predicted to be 15.9 arcsecs and so smaller than 
in 2005, while in
2007 the Martian season after λ=345°Ls (around 11 November) is observable in more favourable
condition than in 2005, that is, the apparent diameter δ is larger than in
2005. In particular in 2007 the season around the northern spring equinox
(λ=360°Ls)
can be observable in preferable conditions. At the season λ=350°Ls, the tilt of the north pole is still toward the Earth and reads φ=7°N, and so the north polar
hood is well observable. The vernal equinox will
attain on 9 December with φ=4°N. At the end of the
year, the season reaches λ=010°Ls when the Baum
plateau of the npc begins (snow line is at Φ=58°N). The tilt of the
north pole will be away for a while until the end of February 2008, but the
perimeter of the npc will remain stable if the Baum plateau is valid (or if not
disturbed by dusts).
02° Around the time when the planet is at
opposition, the planet will stay in Gemini, and so shines high up seen from the
Northern Hemisphere (the altitude at the maximal time will read 70° or more from Japan), but quite low from the Southern
Hemisphere.
03° Earlier the angular diameter δ reaches 5 arcsecs in mid-April 2007 when the season
will read λ=220°Ls. Since the tilt of the south pole
is deeply toward us, we can watch the thawing of the spc. However in April the
planet stays low since it is still in Aquarius. The planet will come back to
the Equator at the end of May when δ=5.7".
04° So roughly
speaking, Mars in 2007 will show us the seasons from λ=220°Ls to 010°Ls in which the size of
the spc will decrease, the orographic cloud can be observed, the activity of
the nph is well watched and so on. At the beginning we should be careful if the
southern dust storms may occur, and at the end of the year we may well catch
the npc when it comes out from the nph.
05° More concretely, we should be careful about the shape of
the spc since its centre will deviate from pole toward Ω=030°W from May. The spc
will become a residual small cap around from the beginning of September. At the
same time the central latitude will shift from south to north, and so it will
become difficult to check the spc. Note however we need to watch how the spr
since the south polar hood is given rise to.
06° On the other hand, the npr and nph become easier to
watch from September. Already the Dawes Slit of the nph over M Acidalium
may be visible (on 1 September 2007, λ=306°Ls). In 2005 one of
us (Mn) observed it at around λ=310°Ls from Mt Hamilton,
and he also saw it in 1990 at around λ=320°Ls, and DAWES himself
detected it around λ=340°Ls, and so the
opportunity lasts long. It should be stressed again that this apparition
provides the best opportunity to catch any glimpse of the npc in a lull of the
nph after λ=350°Ls as well as to witness the clearing up of the nph.
07° The period (B) from λ=310°Ls to λ=350°Ls described in CMO #305 (
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmomn2/2005Coming_9.htm
is included in this apparition
when the physical condition is preferable to watch the northern originated
dusts: Sometimes they gave large resonances on the southern hemisphere
crossing the equator (see the preceding excellent Note by Chritophe PELLIER (CPl)
this issue, and also in
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmomn3/289Note02_03/index.htm
)
In 2003, as pointed out by CPl, one
example was observed at λ=315°Ls by Don PARKER (DPk),
and in 2005 another one was observed at around λ=310°Ls. In 2007, λ=310°Ls comes round on 7
September with δ=8.4" and φ=1°S, and then δ and φ increase, and finally λ=350°Ls visits on 19
November with δ=14.0" and φ=7°N.
08° The evening
cloud over Olympus Mons will cease to be active from mid-March 2007, while
the Tharsis evening cloud will continue to be seen even after the summer, and
we ask our observers to check its scale every time. Olympus Mons may resume
showing its white aspect from the end of 2007 to the beginning of 2008. From
Oceania and
09° As first noted in CMO #279 or in
http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmomn0/279OAA/index.htm
an area inside the
morning grid [Ω=150°W - 160°W, Φ=00°S - 10°S] is de-concentrated
from the morning mist and looked wine-coloured as was clearly shown in 2003 at λ=257°Ls by Canon LAU (CLa). This CLa phenomenon was
observed from λ=250°Ls to 300°Ls in 2003 (discontinuously
since observations were made discontinuously, reported in CMO #289~#283), and
furthermore in 2005 the wine coloured patch was again obvious on a series of
images of Bill FLANAGAN (WFl) which were taken on λ=328°Ls. Hence it is
expected this apparition also the CLa phenomenon should be checked from
June 2007 onward. However, unfortunately this time, the first half period it is
difficult to see the very morning, and so we may be forced to wait until the
time the phase angle decreases enough. However we should say it will be
precious if anyone will be successful to detect it after the period of WFl
(on λ=328°Ls, 10 October).
10° Finally, since the New Year is around the corner, we
summarise the situation of Mars at the beginning of 2007. On 1 January, the
apparent diameter δ is a bit less than 4.0". In January it moves
from Ophiuchus to Sagittarius, and so the apparent declination is southernmost.
From the NH watchers the planet Mars is low at the ES sky even near dawn, and
shines as a dim star of 1.5 magnitudes below at the left hand side of the
planet Jupiter. Even at the end of February, it just shows the altitude of 20° from
11° In March and April, the altitude remains still low even
at dawn, and the δ just reach 5.0" in mid-April as mentioned
before. In May, the altitude will recover 30°, and at the beginning of May the Martian season
reaches λ=230°Ls with φ=25°S. Note already the
season of southern dust has begun (on λ=215°Ls in 2003 it
occurred at M Serpentis).
12° In 2007, Mars does not approach any bright planets.
Occultations of Mars by the Moon occur on 14 April, seen from S and E Asia and
The planet will attain the western
quadrature on 17 September and be stationary on 15 November at 16h.
(To be concluded
in mid-2007)
See: http://www.kwasan.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~cmo/cmomn2/2007Coming_12.htm
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