Chamberlin Open House – Mars Occultation Special!

Denver Astronomical Society is planning to host a special, no-cost open house for the occultation of Mars by the full Moon. The open house will be held at the University of Denver’s historic Chamberlin Observatory, 2930 E. Warren Ave., Denver, CO 80210, the evening of Wednesday, December 7th. Weather permitting, DAS members will have telescopes and binoculars set up on the park lawn on the south side of the observatory building, available for public observing.

An occultation occurs when one solar system object passes in front of another object from an observer’s perspective. During the December 7th event, the Moon will pass in front of the planet Mars, “hiding” it from view for a little over an hour. The occultation will be visible from much of North America and Europe.

The public is encouraged to show up for the special open house starting between about 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. MST. Street parking around Observatory Park is available on a first come, first served basis. By about 7:43 p.m. the red planet will start to disappear behind the Moon in the eastern sky. The occultation will end as Mars reappears at the opposite edge of the Moon at about 8:49 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket, a comfortable folding chair, some layers to add as the evening cools off, and their own binoculars or telescope if they wish.

Download this handy Mars Opposition PDF from NASA!

EarthSky has a great guide to observing Mars