Mars takes center stage this week. Mars reaches opposition early Friday morning. This is not the usual opposition. It will be closer than it has been in the last 15 years. Fifteen 15 years ago (2003), Mars was at its closest in 60,000 years! The reason Mars appears so bright is the fact that it is closer to the sun than at any other point during its orbit, which is called perihelion. According to NASA, this occurs every 15 years or so. So, take in the beauty of the Red Planet now; it will be about 17 years before it looks this bright again.
While Mars will look much brighter than usual, don’t believe the hoax saying that Mars will be as big as the full moon. That’s been circulating the internet since 2003, and it’s just as false now as it was then. In reality, Mars will be only 24.3 arc seconds wide from Earth’s perspective and will still appear as a bright, star-like object. Of course, you will need clear skies to see Mars at opposition, but if you have cloudy skies, don’t worry. Mars will remain nearly as bright for the next few weeks. It will rise earlier and earlier each night, which makes it easier for most people to see it. Most of this year, it’s only been visible late at night. The opposition occurs at 12:31 a.m. CDT Friday July 27. The full moon occurs just a few hours later! Plus, the moon and Mars will be nearly side-by-side the night of the opposition. The closest approach of Mars at 2:50 a.m. CDT on July 31.
