Event Date: August 29th
Time: 8:30 PM
Brief
Saturn, Mars and Spica have changed triangular configurations over the last 4 weeks, while faster Mars has passed Saturn in prograde motion: west to east against the stars. All three form a right-triangle this evening, with Saturn marking the 90º apex. Mars will continue to pick up speed in prograde motion, with the triangle eventually flattening out enough that it becomes a curvy line, somewhat as an arc.
Shown below are the planets and star as described above.
Time: 8:30 PM
Brief
Saturn, Mars and Spica have changed triangular configurations over the last 4 weeks, while faster Mars has passed Saturn in prograde motion: west to east against the stars. All three form a right-triangle this evening, with Saturn marking the 90º apex. Mars will continue to pick up speed in prograde motion, with the triangle eventually flattening out enough that it becomes a curvy line, somewhat as an arc.
Shown below are the planets and star as described above.
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click on image to enlarge: courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus, version 6.4.3, by Simulation Curriculum Corp. |
Detailed
By the time that Saturn catches up with Mars again in about two years, they will be further east of Spica, within the boundaries of Libra. The next encounters with Spica for all three will be during the years of 2040 and 2042. This of course, is when Saturn returns to the star during its 29 1/2 year revolution, and Mars on the other side of the sky during the "gap" year of 2041. The most impressive date for this time period happens September 8th of 2040. Do you know why? If not, yet you have astronomy software, jump ahead to that date and find out!
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