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Mars finally comes to the opposition! Mars at opposition means that The Sun Earth and Mars will be aligned. Therefore, Mars is closest to Earth and has optimal viewing conditions. We have the Martian polar cap and all the shades of red and black that can be easily observed in a small telescope!
The black spots are volcanic soils and what is red corresponds rather to dusty soils rich in oxidized iron, rusty in a way! The opposition will take place on December 8, but you can now observe Mars in very good conditions a few hours following sunset. The planet Mars shines brightly in the constellation of Taurus and is unmistakable on the eastern horizon at the start of the night. This well-marked and very bright red dot will peak above your heads in the middle of the night. Do not miss the rapprochement between Mars and the Moon on December 8 in the early morning. To the north and west of the continent, Mars will graze the planet. In a small telescope, we will see Mars and the Moon in the same field. For the lucky ones in the far north of Morocco, northern Algeria and Tunisia, you will also have the chance to see Mars being occulted by the Moon. The red planet will simply disappear behind our satellite for one hour. A show not to be missed!
Jupiter and Saturn still visible in November-December
It will always be a good time to observe Jupiter and Saturn, still visible at the beginning of the night above the western horizon. Jupiter is in the head of Pisces and Saturn in Capricorn. Both planets are very bright and easily observable. In order not to miss them, Jupiter will be very close to the Moon on the evening of the 1is and December 2 and Saturn will be next to our satellite on the evening of November 28 and 29. As Mars is in the constellation of Taurus, I suggest you discover this beautiful constellation. If the bovine form is visible with a lot of imagination, it is a constellation remarkable for the presence of a very bright red star, the beautiful Aldebaran, which competes with the planet Mars. It is a red giant located 65 light years away. Behind it is the Hyades star cluster, located 150 light years away. In Taurus, you will not fail to observe the beautiful Pleiades cluster, clearly visible to the naked eye, a jewel to be observed in a simple pair of binoculars. A beautiful gibbous Moon will also pass right next to this cluster on the night of December 6 to 7.
Other astronomical phenomena not to be missed…
Some beautiful shooting stars during the next 30 days. The Earth will pass through 4 clouds of dust left by comets. Around November 17, it will be the leonids, on December 9, the Monocerotids and sigma hydride and on December 14 the famous Geminids. For the first 3 swarms, only a few shooting stars will be visible per hour, while for the Geminids, several dozen shooting stars will certainly be observable.
A new astronomical telescope to be won
I remind you that a new astronomical telescope is once once more put into play thanks to our partners SSVI and RFI. To participate, send on our page Facebook Astronomy Africa your most beautiful photos or videos or even a nice text that you have written. The winner will be announced on January 15. Good observations. Good heavens to all and remember the sky is the biggest screen, just look up.
