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Credit & Copyright: Wally Pacholka (Astropics)
Explanation:
Have you seen Mars lately?
As Earth and
Mars near their
closest approach in nearly 60,000 years on August 27, the
red planet
has begun to appear dramatically bright and show
interesting details
through telescopes and binoculars.
Although not yet visible at sunset,
Mars can be
seen rising increasingly earlier in the evening.
Once above the horizon,
Mars is easy to spot, as it sports a distinct
orange-red hue and it is the brightest object in the sky after the
Sun, the nearby
Moon, and
Venus.
After Earth overtakes Mars in their respective solar orbits,
Mars will be visible right from sunset,
although its historic brightness will then
begin to fade.
Pictured above,
Mars was captured rising in the south east next to Poodle Rock in
Valley of Fire State Park,
Nevada,
USA.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mars
Publications with words: Mars
See also: