See Mars for the Holidays

See Mars for the Holidays (originally posted for Dec. 2007)

Star chart by C.C. Petersen/TheSpacewriter.com

The holidays (all kinds of them) are upon us. Whatever you celebrate at this time of year, take a few moments to step outside and look up at the night sky. Orion should be prominent, and not far away, one horn of the Hyades (in Taurus) seem to point at the planet Mars. If you have binoculars or a small telescope, check out the Orion Nebula not far from the three stars that make up Orion’s belt. And, don’t forget to include the Pleiades in your stellar and planetary travels!

(Note: this post and map refer to the sky and Mars as seen in December 2007.)

Happy Holidays from TheSpacewriter.com