Photo/Illutration The nearly full moon and Mars appear in conjunction — close to one another — in the night sky on Oct. 2, as seen from Olympia, Wash. Through most of the month of October, Mars will appear as the brightest object in its area of the sky, except when the moon is nearby. (AP Photo)

Human resources section chief and accounting section chief are familiar titles at any organization, but I had never heard of a Mars section chief until recently.

It is a legitimate title at Toa Tenmon Gakkai or the Oriental Astronomical Association (OAA), a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 to foster friendship among all lovers of astronomy, amateur as well as professional. OAA just celebrated its 100th birthday this fall.

The association's celebrated Mars Section Chief Masatsugu Minami died last year at age 80, after holding the post for 20 years. An amateur astronomer born in Fukui Prefecture, Minami's Mars observation history spanned 65 years.

Characterizing Mars as "Earth's younger brother," Minami brought together astronomy fans from around the world. He drew tens of thousands of intricate sketches of what he observed. Done in pencil, the original works are vividly descriptive.

"Considering the different orbital periods of Mars and Earth, it would take at least 79 years to observe Mars thoroughly through the four seasons," he theorized, and conceded that nobody could achieve that in their lifetime.

"By profession, Minami was a mathematician teaching at a university, but he declined all offers of promotion so he could devote his time to the research and observation of Mars," recalled Yasunobu Yoshizawa, 75, Minami's successor and former director of the Fukui City Museum of Natural History.

When Mars made its close approach to Earth in July 2018, Yoshizawa and Minami stayed up all night together observing it.

And the next closest approach occurs Oct. 6. Viewed through a telescope, the surface of Mars looks surprisingly clear around this time.

There is a map of Mars with established place names such as "shinju no umi” (Sea of pearls), Olympus Mons and Planum Australe.

Right now, three Mars explorers launched by three nations, including the United Arab Emirates, are on their way to the red planet.

On Oct. 6, I will probably take a good look at the red "younger brother" planet that has always fascinated us earthlings.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 5

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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