There are many skywatching highlights in October, 2020. Two full Moons, Mars at the opposition and finding the Andromeda galaxy. On October 6, Mars made its closest approach to Earth, and it was larger in our sky than it will be again for almost 15 years. According to reports, Mars was just about 38.6 million miles away. That is closer than it is going to come again until September 2035. Twitterati shared mesmerising pictures of the red planet seen in the night sky, shining bright. It glows ruddy red that stands out against the twinkling of stars around it. In fact, the red planet will be visible in the sky throughout October, 2020. How to watch Mars? In this article, we will bring you beautiful pictures of the red planet shared on social media and also details as to how you can watch Mars, shining bright in the sky. Mars and Moon Come Together for Splendid Show! Twitterati Share Gorgeous Photos of the Red Planet With Full Moon. 

Mars will be visible at night throughout October, rising the highest in the sky around midnight each evening. It will shine in the east each evening and in the west before dawn. Before last night, Mars in 2003 made its closest approach Earth in 60,000 years, coming with a distance of 34.65 million miles. So, when the red planet made its closest approach than it will ever be for the next 15 years, it was obvious for skygazers to flood their Twitter timeline with beautiful pictures of Mars, shining so bright in the sky. NASA Mars 2020 Mission: Perseverance Rover Launched Successfully, 10 Points to Know. 

Mars Made Its Closest Approach to Earth!

Mars Over Toronto

Beautiful

The Red Planet Was So Close!

Capturing the Moment

How to Watch Mars?

Mars will remain visible throughout October, 2020. On October 13, Mars will hit opposition, a point when Earth sits directly between the Sun and Mars. This is when Mars will be at its absolute brightest point of the year, rising at sunset and remaining up until sunrise. According to Astronomy, opposition to Mars comes once every 26 months, and this is a relatively close one.

Mars is going to be shockingly bright all month. In fact, it will be the fourth-brightest object in the sky behind the Sun, Moon and Venus, the morning star. When you are looking up at the sky to spot Mars, note that it is relatively easy to spot in the night sky due to its bright orange-red colour, visible even to the naked eye. It is visible for most of the night in the southern sky, reaching its highest point around midnight. So, just go outside and look up; you should be able to see Mars.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 07, 2020 10:51 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).