[AZ-Observing] Re: Mars and the Moon

sam@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Here's a shot of the pair taken at 0140 UT 24Dec2007. It looked to me like 
> the pair began drifting farther apart as the evening progressed.
> 
> http://www.pbase.com/pegsam/image/90740427 

   XEphem says that closest approach was at 01:32 UT (18:32 MST).  I've 
generated a plot showing separation over time, from noon until midnight 
local time yesterday.

<http://members.cox.net/f7j9jwirjsljejic/separation.jpg>

   Local time is plotted on the X axis, and separation in degrees on the 
Y axis.  I found the difference in slope before and after minimum 
separation to be interesting, although I've not yet deduced the reason 
for the difference.

   One other point, Sam.  In the caption to your image, you say that the 
Moon is "approximately 5 degrees in diameter".  It's actually only about 
0.5 degrees, and at the time your image was made, the separation was 
well under 1 degree.  An occultation was visible to observers in the far 
north.

                                -- Mike --
-- 
cal_donley@xxxxxxx
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