NIU observatory still has a great view of Mars

by Tom Parisi

If you missed your chance last week to get a good look at Mars – when the planet was closer to Earth than it has been in nearly 60,000 years – it’s still not too late.

“The view of Mars will remain spectacular through mid-October,” says Andrew Morrison, manager of the observatory atop Davis Hall.

The observatory is providing a steady stream of visitors with a telescopic view of the mysterious Red Planet. Morrison, a graduate student in physics, kept the observatory open nightly last week to accommodate the public.

The facility returns to its normal schedule this week. Faculty, staff and students can set their sights on Mars from 9 to 11 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through October. The Red Planet is now receding from Earth, but it’s still unusually close.

“Normally, the planet doesn’t appear this big,” Morrison said. “We can see not only the south polar ice cap but also the surface features that stretch across Mars. We won’t have a view this good for another 200 years.”

The NIU Department of Physics operates the observatory.

Thanks in part to generous grants from the NIU Foundation Board of Directors and the DeKalb Foundation, the observatory boasts some impressive stargazing equipment, including a Celestron 14-inch telescope, an 85-mm refracting telescope, binoculars and three digital cameras.

For more information, or to arrange a private group tour, e-mail Morrison at observatory@physics.niu.edu. More information also is available on the observatory Web site at http://www.physics.niu.edu/~observatory/.

9-2-03