York University experts can explain the occultation of Mars by the Moon
TORONTO, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 – Mars will play peek-a-boo with the Moon in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Feb. 18, similar to an eclipse. Tune in online to York University’s Allan I. Carswell Observatory for the best views of the Moon moving in front of the red planet, called the occultation of Mars.
The event happens every few years but is only visible from certain areas in the world. This time, the occultation will be visible from the Greater Toronto Area.
“If you’re up really early, from about 4:30 a.m. onwards, you’ll see Mars low in the sky above the southeastern horizon to the left of a crescent Moon,” says Faculty of Science Professor Paul Delaney, director of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory. “As the sun rises, so too will Mars and the Moon. They will also continue to move closer to each other until the Moon completely obscures Mars.”
The new one-metre telescope in the Allan I. Carswell Observatory will be trained on the skies and will broadcast imagery starting shortly after 7 a.m. with the ingress at 7:25 a.m., when the Moon first makes its moves on Mars, until the egress at 8:49 a.m., when the red planet emerges on the other limb of the Moon. The observatory chatroom will also be available to answer questions during that time.
Sky gazers will also be able to see the event on their own with a telescope or a good pair of binoculars. A little before the occultation time, is when you’ll get a good view of Mars beside a crescent Moon.
For most of this month, Mars can be seen low in the southeastern pre-dawn sky well before the Sun rises.
WHAT: The occultation of Mars by the Moon. The observatory will broadcast images of the event.
WHO: Physics and Astronomy Assistant Professor Elaina Hyde will answer questions online the morning of the occultation from the observatory.
Leading up to the event, Paul Delaney, the Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy, and Hyde can discuss the occultation and the best way to see it.
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 7:25 a.m. ET
WHERE: Watch and ask questions through the York University Allan I. Carswell Observatory’s online public viewing.
-30-
York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. York U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.
Media Contact:
Sandra McLean, York University Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 2097 or 416-272-6317,
sandramc@yorku.ca
