TELESCOPES AT COLOMBO UNI. OPEN TO PUBLIC TODAY
He said the public can visit the Colombo University play ground from 7 - 10 p.m. on Tuesday (31) if the sky is free from clouds and take part in this activity.
Prof. Jayaratna said the planet Mars, the only planet whose surface we can see using ground based telescopes (except for tiny mercury) is coming closer to the earth on July 31 after 15 years.
He said it was last seen this close in 2003 and next closest would be in 2020 and super closest would be in 2035.
“At the close approach, the red planet will be brighter than all the stars in the night sky and therefore you will never miss this reddish colour planet as a bright object in the eastern sky after the sun set. Look at the eastern skies late this evening and if the sky is clear with no clouds you could see the shining yellow-orange coloured planet Mars above the horizon between the star constellation Capricornus,” he said. This is the nearest that Mars has come((57.6 million kilometres to earth) since its recordbreaking close approach in August 28, 2003. At that time it passed by at a distance of only 55.8 million kilometres, the closest it had come in 59,619 years. “There are observational camps conducted by astronomers all over the world to observe this rare event. The most striking features on Mars’ surface on these days will be the brilliant white polar cap and a dust storm,” Prof. Jayaratna said.
The planet will remain bright for several weeks, and public can also view the planets Saturn, Jupiter and Venus in a “long arc across the sky from east to west” shortly after sunset, he said.
The Colombo University Astronomical Society would conduct another two astronomical night sky observation camps jointly with the Committee for the popularization of Science of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science on August 1 at the Vijitha Madya Maha Vidyalaya in Polonnaruwa and at the Sinhala Madya Maha Vidyalaya in Trincolamlee on August 2. It would be open to school children and the general public from 7 - 9 p.m.