Hours before Curiosity's touchdown, "the stellar trio will be visible high above the southwest horizon after sunset and together form what is called the Martian Triangle," said Jim Todd, planetarium manager at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Visible to the naked eye, the bodies will appear separated by only five degrees on each side—equal to the width of a fist. Yet their proximity is only an optical illusion, as they are at considerable distances from each other, Todd said.
Fortuitous Conjunction
Called a conjunction—when celestial objects get close to each other in the sky—this eye-catching equilateral triangle is not rare. But its timing with the Mars rover is fortuitous.
At about 1:24 a.m. ET on Sunday, Curiosity's entry capsule will slam into Mars's upper atmosphere in what has been dubbed the seven minutes of terror: the rover's entry, descent, and landing. . . .
Continue Reading . . .
See Also:
Curiosity Nears Daring Landing on Mars
VIDEO | Will The Mars Curiosity Rover Finally Provide Proof of Extraterrestrial Life?
Does Proof of 'Ancient Oceans' on Mars Ensure That Life Once Existed There?
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