The night sky makes for an interesting pairing of targets this evening (July 10).
As soon because the sun sets, look to the western skies to see the Red Planet, Mars, shining steadily above the twinkling blueish star Regulus. The pair will set shortly after 10 p.m. ET (0200 GMT on July 11), so remember to get out as soon because it gets dark.
To search out Mars and Regulus, it is perhaps easiest to first spot certainly one of the early evening sky’s brightest objects: Venus. Venus continues to be quite vibrant within the night sky, coming off its brightest appearance on July 7. Search for a big, vibrant orb to the west; you may’t miss it. Once you’ve got found Venus, look just above and to the left of it to seek out Regulus. Mars will probably be just above the star, not incredibly vibrant but still easy to make out as a gradual orange light.
Related: Mars and Venus leave the night sky this month. Here’s learn how to say goodbye
Regulus, also referred to as Alpha Leonis, is the brightest star within the Leo constellation, the Lion, along with being certainly one of the brightest stars of the Northern Hemisphere’s night sky. Regulus will probably be at around magnitude +1.4, making it fairly easy to see with the unaided eye next to Mars shining at magnitude +1.7. (The lower the magnitude, the brighter the item appears to our eyes.)
Within the night sky, Regulus appears as a single blue-white star, but is definitely a part of a quadruple star system. A binary pair made up of an orange dwarf and a red dwarf lurk nearby at 4,200 Earth-sun distances, while researchers consider a dead star referred to as a white dwarf is also positioned close by.
Regulus is something of an oddball, rotating much faster than most stars at 700,000 mph (1.1 million kph) at its equator. For comparison, the sun’s rotation is about 4,500 mph (7,242 kph) at its equator. The star’s spin is so intense that it bulges out in its center to a diameter of about 4.2 times that of Earth’s sun. If Regulus spun just 10% faster, it might rip itself apart.
When you are hoping to catch a take a look at Mars or Regulus up close, our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars are an awesome place to begin.
And in the event you’re seeking to snap photos of Mars or the night sky on the whole, take a look at our guide on learn how to photograph the planets, in addition to our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.