Mars is presently in the Pisces constellation. Right Ascension is at 00h 27m 07s, and Declination is currently +01 00′ 29.
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Which way is Mars heading tonight?
Mars will be in opposition to the Earth on Saturday, March 3rd. This is simply a geometric event: Mars will appear in Earth’s sky exactly opposite the sun, 180 degrees away.
This story’s Mars sky map depicts how the Red Planet will appear in the night sky.
It’s logical to assume that Mars will be closest to Earth on this date as well, but the planet has a secret up its sleeve. While Earth’s orbit is nearly perfect, Mars’ orbit is an ellipse with enough of a bulge that the planet approaches Earth two days later, on Monday (March 5).
Mars will be 62.6 million miles (100.7 million kilometers) from Earth on that date, nearly twice as far as it was on the Red Planet’s previous favorable opposition, on August 30, 2003.
Mars will be in opposition this year, with the constellation Leo as a backdrop. Despite the fact that this is an unfavorable opposition due to Mars’s distance from Earth, the planet will be bright enough to outshine all of the stars in this portion of the sky.
Even in the brightest metropolitan skies, Mars will be tough to miss. Mars should have a faint red tint to the naked eye, aside from its brilliance. It will radiate with a continuous light, unlike the sparkling of Regulus, the bright star nearby.
On Saturday, Mars will rise in the east about the same time as the sun sets in the west, due to its opposition to the sun. Look for it approximately an hour after sunset in the east.
Mars will appear to gently ascend upwards and to the right as the Earth rotates. It will be due south and halfway up the sky by midnight. As the sun rises in the east, Mars will be setting in the west at daybreak.
If you’re out skywatching this weekend, Mars can also assist you in identifying the constellation that serves as its backdrop: Leo the Lion.
This constellation is divided into two parts. A very common right-angled triangle of stars, about the same brightness as the stars of the Big Dipper, is seen on the left, above Mars, with the star Denebola at the far left. A sickle, or perhaps a backwards question mark, is seen on the right, with the bright star Regulus serving as the dot of the question mark. Regulus is a large, bright double star that should be visible using binoculars.
Algieba, the leftmost star in the question mark, is one of the most beautiful double stars in the sky. In any small skywatching telescope with at least a 3-inch (75 mm) aperture, this is a stunning sight. Look for the star 54 Leonis, which will be about midway between the northern points of the question mark and the triangle for double star observers.
In the constellation Leo, deep sky astronomers will locate many brilliant galaxies. Four of the brightest are depicted on the sky map accompanying this tale, each with a number from Charles Messier’s catalog.
M65 and M66, along with NGC3628, make up two-thirds of the “Leo Triplet” in a 6-inch (150 mm) telescope. These are among of the brightest galaxies in the sky, and if you know where to look, you can see them even in light-polluted metropolitan skies. M96 and M105 are also members of a triplet with M95. They are still visible in the dark sky, though not as bright as the M65-M66-NGC3628 triplet.
Is it possible for you to view Mars right now?
As we expand our footprint across the solar system, NASA is planning a thrilling voyage to Mars, a rich location for scientific discovery and human exploration. This month of October offers a spectacular night-sky view of Mars.
Mars is currently visible in the sky, rising to its highest peak at midnight. Earth’s nearest neighbor is likewise at its brightest, and it will be for the rest of November.
Mars is currently the third brightest object in Earth’s night sky. The brightest objects are the Moon and Venus, with Jupiter usually coming in third. However, Mars is passing close enough to Earth this season to eclipse Jupiter. The fact that Mars is so visible corresponds with an event called opposition, which occurs every two years and two months.
When a planet’s orbit brings it close to Earth, such as Mars, opposition occurs. The quicker inner planets, like as Earth, can approach and overtake slower-moving outer planets like Mars, much like runners passing each other on a track. Mars will appear larger and brighter in our sky when the planets pass each other during this opposition because of its proximity. Because the Sun, Earth, and Mars are all aligned during this transit, Mars will rise at sunset and climb well over the horizon at midnight. For the next 15 years, or until September 2035, this is the closest the Red Planet will go to Earth.
Mars is around 250 million miles (400 million kilometers) from Earth at its farthest point. It will be as close as 40 million miles (60 million kilometers) during the October opposition, approximately seven times closer. Although Mars will appear dazzling to the naked eye, it will expand substantially in size when viewed through a telescope. Mars’ closest approach to Earth this year occurs barely a week before the October 13 opposition, giving the Red Planet its largest visible size in the 2020s.
When viewing Mars near opposition, telescopes will reveal more of the planet’s characteristics, including dark and light parts on the planet’s surface, as well as the distinctive south polar ice cap, which will be angled towards the Earth. These details can be difficult to see, especially in smaller telescopes, due to the turbulence of our atmosphere.
Many amateur astronomers attach a color video camera to their telescope and use software to select the best pictures to stack into a single image. The blurring generated by the air is reduced as a result of this.
The red color of Mars is the most striking feature of its appearance, whether seen with the naked eye or via a telescope. Iron in the rocks on Mars’ surface generates this tint, which is the same factor that causes the red color in sandstone formations in the Southwest.
So, when you see Mars, keep your eyes peeled for it and marvel at its brilliant red radiance!
Is it possible to see Mars from Earth?
This year will be the year of Mars landings, as last year was the year of Mars launches. The United Arab Emirates’ Hope Mars mission entered orbit around Mars on February 9, while China’s Tianwen-1 rover is now orbiting the planet and will arrive in May. Meanwhile, Nasa’s Perseverance rover is scheduled to touchdown on Mars on February 18.
Mars is one of the most prominent planets in the night sky, shining brightly orange and visible for nearly the entire year. It’s been visible since the second half of last year, and no special equipment is required to see it.
This means there will be some fantastic opportunities to glimpse the planet as it travels across the night skies, including right as the Perseverance rover lands. The moon and Mars will be close to each other in the night sky on the day the rover lands, meaning they will seem next to each other in the night sky.
You don’t get to observe a close approach as a rover is landing every day. As Perseverance lands 200 million kilometers (124 million miles) away, wrap up warm and keep an eye out for the Moon and Mars together.
What is the position of Mars with reference to Earth?
At its closest approach, Mars is less than 56 million kilometers (35 million miles) from Earth, but it recedes to over 400 million kilometers (250 million miles) when the two planets are on different parts of the solar system.
When will you be able to see Mars?
When and where to look in 2022: Mars begins the year as a faint red star in the morning sky. Mars becomes brighter in the morning sky as the year passes. Mars brightens to negative magnitudes by September and rises about midnight. Mars will continue to grow in size and brightness for the rest of 2022, until early December.
Note: The optimum time of year to see an outer planet is when it is in opposition. Every 26 months, Mars reaches opposition. Mars will be in the constellation Taurus at opposition, and will be visible for much of the night, reaching its highest point in the sky about midnight. Consider how we on Earth, in our smaller, faster orbit, sweep between the sun and Mars.
A lunar occultation of Mars on December 7-8
On December 8, the moon will pass in front of Mars at 04:21 UTC, causing a lunar occultation. From areas of the Americas, Europe, and Northern Africa, the lunar occulation can be seen. Mars will have an apparent diameter of 17 and a magnitude of -1.9. Although the moon will be totally illuminated, binoculars should be able to see Mars.
Mars is bright sometimes
For much of 2021, Mars was visible in the evening sky. However, in October, the red planet vanished from our view for a period. On October 8, 2021, it reached superior conjunction, when it was directly behind the sun as seen from Earth. Then, just before sunrise, Mars reappeared in our sky as a small red dot in the east. Throughout the first months of 2022, it went unnoticed.
a good year for viewing Mars
The year 2022 is a favorable year to visit Mars. In the first half of 2022, Mars will gradually brighten, initially as a morning object and then, in the second half of 2022, as a dazzling red ruby in the evening sky. It will approach opposition on December 8, 2022, when Earth will pass between Mars and the sun.
The early stargazers named Mars after their God of War because of its rapid brightness changes (and its red color). The war god takes a break now and then. And he can be rather ferocious at times!
These shifts are part of what makes Mars so fascinating to observe at night.
Do you enjoy stargazing at night? EarthSky lunar calendars for 2022 help you keep track of the moon. The product is now available. We’re moving quickly!
Mars isn’t very big
To grasp why Mars’ brightness changes so much in the Earth’s sky, keep in mind that Mars isn’t a particularly large planet. It has a diameter of 4,219 miles (6,790 kilometers), making it only slightly larger than Earth (7,922 miles or 12,750 km in diameter).
Consider Mars in comparison to Jupiter, our solar system’s largest planet. Jupiter has a diameter of 86,881 miles (140,000 kilometers). In front of Jupiter, more than 20 planets the size of Mars might be lined up side by side. Because Jupiter is so massive, it constantly seems brilliant.
Mars, on the other hand, is a different story. Its brightness peaks and valleys are related to its proximity (or lack thereof) to Earth.
Mars orbits one step outward
Mars moves one step away from Earth in its orbit around the sun. As both Earth and Mars orbit the sun, the distances between them alter. Earth and Mars are sometimes on the same side of the solar system and close to each other. Mars and Earth are sometimes on practically opposite sides of the sun from one other, as they were for much of 2021. As a result, Mars appears dim.
Take a look at the graphic below, which shows the solar system from a different perspective. Mars will be at opposition, or opposite the sun from Earth’s perspective, on December 8, 2022. For the year 2022, this is when Mars will be at its brightest and closest. Compare this image to the one at the top, which depicts Mars and Earth’s orbits about a year earlier, in December 2021. When the sun and Mars were at conjunction, Mars came out from behind the sun and began to appear in the morning sky for observers on Earth.
Why is the red planet sometimes bright?
The Earth takes a year to complete one orbit around the sun. It takes around two years for Mars to complete one orbit. Every two years and 50 days, the Earth passes between Mars and the sun, causing opposition for Mars.
As a result, the brightness of Mars in our sky fluctuates every two years. But that isn’t the only cycle that influences Mars’ brightness. A 15-year cycle of bright and faint oppositions also exists.
was a special year for Mars
2018 was an extremely exceptional year for Mars because of that 15-year cycle, as the planet shone brighter than it had since 2003. It was known as a perihelic opposition (or perihelic apparition) of Mars by astronomers. In other words, we passed between Mars and the sun in 2018, bringing Mars to opposition in our sky about the same time Mars approached the sun. The term perihelion refers to the moment in Mars’ orbit where it is closest to the sun.
As a result, Earth and Mars are closest in years when we pass between Mars and the sun, and Mars is also closest to the sun.
Mars’ previous perihelic opposition occurred in 2003. The red planet approached Earth at a distance of 34.6 million miles (55.7 million kilometers), the closest it has been in nearly 60,000 years! That was just amazing.
Mars was still fairly bright at opposition in 2020. It wasn’t as dazzling, however, as it had been in 2018 or 2003.
Future Martian oppositions
When is the next Mars opposition? When will Mars be at its brightest in our sky during that two-year period again? You guessed correctly. 2022!
In the end, Mars appears brilliant and dim in our night sky every year. Mars was dim in 2021, but it will brighten in 2022.
What is the current distance between Earth and Mars?
The current distance between Mars and Earth is 208,911,204 kilometers, or 1.396485 Astronomical Units. It takes 11 minutes and 36.8528 seconds for light to travel from Mars to Earth. The graphic below depicts the distance between Mars and Earth as a function of time.
Is it possible to see Mars with the naked eye?
Mars can be seen with the naked eye every now and again. The planet emits a brilliant reddish glow when it is close to Earth, prompting it to be named after the Roman god of battle (Ares for the Greeks, Mars for the Romans). This distinctive tint is the result of a high concentration of iron oxide in the Martian soil, sometimes known as rust! Amateur and professional astronomers alike are actively observing the globe today, and the sights captured by scientific missions have long enthralled the public. Several probes will depart in the summer of 2020 to continue their research of this magnificent planet. Mars, the third closest astronomical body to Earth after the Moon and Venus, has been proposed as a possible location for human settlement… Definitely enough to pique your interest!
Fact Sheet on Mars:
Is it possible to see Mars without a telescope tonight?
Mars is one of the five planets that can be seen without a telescope from Earth. Mars will appear as a bright red dot in the night sky to the naked eye. Mars is a favorite amateur astronomy target since it can be viewed from almost everywhere in the world with a clear view of the night sky. Seeing Mars is frequently the catalyst for people becoming interested in astronomy and eventually amateur astronomers. Take a time to enjoy our cosmic friend if you’re lucky enough to catch a sight of Mars with your own eyes!