On Jan. 27, Mars will be closer to Earth than any other time between 2008 and 2014. A mere 60 million miles away, the red planet will be a great target for backyard telescopes, and will appear bright to the naked eye as well.
Every 26 months, the two planets' orbits bring them closer together, sometimes closer than others. In 2003, Mars came within 35 million miles of Earth, a 60,000-year record.
Observers with a telescope will be able to see changes over the north pole of Mars as the carbon dioxide ice cap is nearing summer and evaporating into gas that affects the polar clouds. (If any of our reader-astronomers catch a nice image, send it our way!)
From the ground, Mars will look like an orange star almost as bright as Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. The display may actually be best on Friday, Jan. 29, when Mars will rise alongside the first full moon of the year, directly opposite the sun.
For help locating Mars, view NASA's full sky maps for Jan. 27, 28 and 29.
Image: NASA
See Also:
- Strange Places on Mars: What Do You Want to See Next?
- Red Rocks on Mars Aren't Just Rust
- That Crazy Spiral in the Sky? It Might Be Real
- Rare Comet Close-Up Coming to a Sky Near You
- Reader Photo Gallery: Awesome DIY Astronomy
- Share Your Stars: New Wired Science DIY Astronomy Flickr Group
- Reader Photo Gallery: More Stunning DIY Astrophotos
- The Making of a Mind-Blowing Space Photo
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