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Credit & Copyright: Wally Pacholka (Astropics)
Explanation:
Mars is heading for its
closest encounter with Earth in over 50,000 years.
Although Mars and
Earth continue in their normal
orbits around the Sun,
about every two years Earth and Mars are on the same
part of their orbit as seen from the Sun.
When this happens again in late August,
Mars will be almost as near to the Sun as it ever gets,
while simultaneously Earth will be almost as far from the Sun as it ever gets.
This means that now is a great time to
launch your space probe to Mars.
Alternatively, these next few months are a great time to
see a bright red Mars from your backyard.
Mars
is so close that global features should be visible
even through a small telescope.
Look for Mars to rise about 11 pm and to remain the
brightest red object in the sky until sunrise.
Mars will rise increasingly earlier until its closest approach in late August.
Mars was captured above rising through Arch Rock in
California,
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:
- APOD: 2024 December 3 Á Ice Clouds over a Red Planet
- APOD: 2024 November 10 Á Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars
- APOD: 2024 September 9 Á Mars: Moon, Craters, and Volcanos
- APOD: 2024 June 5 Á Shadow of a Martian Robot
- Ares 3 Landing Site: The Martian Revisited
- The Shadow of Ingenuity s Damaged Rotor Blade
- APOD: 2023 November 7 Á A Martian Dust Devil Spins By