‘You’re at the mercy of the clouds.’ : Hail Big Red: Mars a-Callin’

In the eyes of 7-year-old John Sanford, the captivating stars and celestial bodies that rocketed to him magically through his small, $4 telescope made an unforgettable sight.

“It was fantastic, just like being there as some kind of space traveler,” said the now-grown Sanford of Orange, recalling those early boyhood glimpses into space.

Four decades later, Sanford’s attention to the stars has only magnified, and this week it will be focused squarely on Mars. On Wednesday, the mysterious, fiery red planet will pass the Earth at its closest point in 17 years, offering up its melting polar cap, fierce sandstorms and mythic canals for detailed inspection to all seekers.

Among those paying close attention to Mars this celestial season are Sanford’s more than 500 fellow members of the Orange County Astronomers, which lays claim to title of the nation’s biggest stargazing club.

The club will offer public “star parties” in coming weeks to view the rare close-up spectacle and is a co-host for a Mars planetarium show at Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana for four consecutive Sundays, beginning this weekend.

Best Viewed From 9:30 to 10 All Week

The planet is best viewed in the eastern sky from 9:30 to 10 o’clock each night this week. It will rise about 30 minutes earlier next week.

For centuries, Mars has captured the fancy of stargazers from the 19th-Century Italian astronomer Schiaparelli--,who first advanced the since-discredited theory of Mars’ canals, down through “War of the Worlds” creator H.G. Wells and famed scientist Carl Sagan.

So intriguing was the planet, its close passing at the turn of this century sparked widespread and sensational speculation among laymen and scientists alike about the existence of life on Earth’s neighbor. That idea has since lost some popularity under the weight of scientific data.

But if interest is more limited this time around as Mars passes at a celestially close 36.5 million miles, somebody forgot to tell the county’s stargazers.

“Mars holds the key to future planetary exploration,” said Robert Gill, an astronomy instructor at Cal State Fullerton. “And since (professional space researchers) have not been that active lately in looking at this area, this at least gives us the chance to view the planet more closely from Earth-based telescopes.”

“We can get some really spectacular views of the surface detail,” added Gill, who is president of Orange County Astronomers. “It’s fun to try and make out the planet’s characteristics and find the canals.”

Now engaged in a passing orbit that occurs about every 15 years or so, Mars has been particularly visible from Earth since about June and should remain so through at least October. While Wednesday officially marks the closest passing, astronomers say no single day is best for viewing. The brightest and reddest object in the eastern sky, Mars can be spied without a telescope.

Visibility may be cut across Orange County, however, by increased coastal low clouds caused by a cold front moving into the Southland, according to the National Weather Service. Night and morning low clouds are forecast through Wednesday.

“In astronomy, you’re at the mercy of the clouds,” lamented Sanford, who teaches photography at Orange Coast College and photographs astronomical sights through a 12-inch telescope in his back yard.

The astronomers club will hold two public viewings of Mars, complete with about a dozen telescopes, from beginner models to powerful sky probers.

The first viewing will be Oct. 1 at Laguna Niguel Regional Park, the second Oct. 8 at Grissom Park in Fullerton. Both will begin at nightfall.

The club, once made up of a handful of hard-core astronomers, has exploded to a membership of more than 500 people, organizers said. They can’t quite explain why, other than pointing to the group’s varied programming and a widespread interest in Halley’s comet in 1986. The club regularly brings in speakers and offers astronomical seminars around the area.

The club’s crowning achievement came a few years ago when it unveiled a mammoth, 22-inch telescope on a 20-acre site near Anza, about 90 miles to the southeast in Riverside County. Ten years in the making, the telescope’s delicate instrumentation was largely put together in the garage of one club member, William Kuhn of Santa Ana.

LOOKING FOR MARS WHEN: Mars can best be seen from 9:30 to 10 p.m. each night this week, its ascent getting a half hour earlier each week.

WHERE TO LOOK: It is by far the brightest (and reddest) object in the eastern sky, about 25 to 30 degrees above the horizon. It can be seen with the naked eye.

MARS AT A GLANCE

Named for Roman god of war

Position:

Fourth-closest planet to the sun; Earth is third closest.

Closest it gets to the sun is 128.5 million miles; farthest away, 154.9 million (mean distance, 141.7 million).

Closest it gets to Earth is 36.5 million miles (Wednesday); farthest away, 248 million. Venus is the only planet that gets closer to Earth.

Diameter: 4,200 miles (just over half that of Earth).

Length of year: 687 Earth days.

Rotation: Once every 24 hours, 37 minutes.

Temperature: minus 191 degrees to minus 24 degrees Fahrenheit.

Atmosphere: Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, oxygen, carbon monoxide, neon, krypton, xenon and water vapor. Generally has three types and colors of clouds: pink (composed of dust), blue (ice crystals) and white (thought to be water vapor).

Satellites: two (Phobos and Deimos)

Gravity: About three-eighths that of Earth; e.g., a 100-pound object on Earth would weigh 38 pounds on Mars.

Outstanding geologic features:

Bright areas cover about two-thirds of the surface and appear reddish brown. They are desert-like areas covered by dust, sand and rocks.

Dark areas cover about a third of the surface, are irregular in shape and appear greenish or bluish-gray. Even though they are called maria, or seas, they contain no measurable amounts of water. The color and size vary throughout the year.

Polar caps, small areas at the north and south poles, grow and shrink with the seasons.

Source: World Book Encyclopedia