FEAR AND DREAD AROUND MARS: The
moons of Mars are so small, some astronomers believe they are
captured asteroids. Named Phobos and Deimos (Fear and Dread), the
diminutive satellites average 17 km in diameter and are rarely seen in
pictures of the Red Planet. On May 24th, astrophotographer Dennis
Simmons of Brisbane, Australia, attempted to capture both. Rate of
success: 100%.
Mars shines 242,000 times
brighter than Phobos and 741,000 times
brighter than Deimos. The two moons are
easily lost in the glare. "Deimos was relatively easy, but Phobos had to
be gently teased out of the data," says Simmons, who used a 9 inch
Celestron telescope.
This is a good time for
astrophotographers to seek Fear and Dread. Why? Because Mars is
unusually close to Earth. On May 30th, the two planets will be only 47
million miles apart--the closest they've been since 2005. This proximity
not only boosts the apparent brightness of the tiny moons, but also
increases their angular separation from Mars. Browse the gallery for sightings.
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