Sky fashions come and go, but affection for Mars never wanes. Even as recent discoveries of deep-space sparklers like quasars, novas, and exploding galaxies shift attention from planetary gazing, the Red Planet stubbornly refuses the status of a has-been.
Instead, Mars amazes with new discoveries: fluvial channels cut by ancient rivers, surface soils brimming with oxygen, and fossils of what may be microscopic life, found on a blown-off chunk of Mars that crashed into Antarctica 13,000 years ago. Mars, with its fantastic sky (sometimes pink, sometimes cobalt blue) and chocolate-colored deserts, never fails to intrigue. Beginners often assume that capturing Martian detail is as easy as buying a good telescope, but there are other important considerations, such as choosing the right time to observe the planet. This month is ideal because Mars will dominate the midnight sky, offering backyard viewers a rare opportunity to acquaint themselves with the surprising planet.
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