Mars Tonight: When and where will the red planet Mars be visible tonight?

Stargazing and celestial body enthusiasts can watch the red planet Mars as it is closest to planet earth in the month of October, as revealed by NASA. The planet is close to the Earth and on a clear day can be viewed by stargazers with the help of binoculars as well as telescopes. According to a report in Earthsky, the planet will not be so close as it is now for the next fifteen years. Mars will be close to the Earth for most of October as per Earthsky.

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Where is Mars? 

 Mars' orbit will come closest to Earth this time at about 38.6 million miles (62.07 million kilometres) from our planet. Mars was visible for much of the night in the southern sky and at its highest point at about midnight. Mars will still be visible through October but will become fainter as Mars and Earth travel farther away from each other in their orbits around the Sun.

Image Credits: mars.nasa.gov website 

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Where to look for Mars? 

Mars reaches the highest point from planet earth by midnight on a clear sky day. According to NASA, Mars can be seen from west to east in the night sky. The red planet changes position in the night sky every two years, that is when the planet moves from east to west. The change in position is caused by the retrograde movement or motion of the planet. 

Mars viewing October 2020

According to Mars.NASA.com, “The orbits of Mars and Earth are also slightly tilted with respect to each other. All of these factors mean that not all close encounters are equal. In 2003, Mars made its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years! It won't be that close again until the year 2287. When Mars and Earth are close to each other, Mars appears very bright in our sky. It also makes it easier to see with telescopes or the naked eye. The Red Planet comes close enough for exceptional viewing only once or twice every 15 or 17 years.”

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Promo Image Credits: NASA Website