Mars to Be Opposite and Closest to the Sun, Shining Bright! Are You Ready to Watch the Celestial Event Tomorrow?

The arrival of October marks longer night hours, while the days will comparatively be shorter. Its autumn, and one of the best months for many celestial events. The recent one would occur tomorrow, October 13, when the red planet, Mars will be opposite and closest to the Sun, shining bright. This will make the red planet very close to Earth—a mere 62.1 million kilometres, which will allow us to view Mars in the night sky tomorrow. So, are you ready to watch the celestial event tomorrow? In this article, we bring you how and where to spot the red planet in the night sky.

According to Sky & Telescope, Mars will be opposite to the Sun in the sky. This means that Earth will be situated directly between Mars and the Sun. We passed Mars’ closest approach recently on October 6, and now we are excited for Tuesday, when the planet will be in opposition. So, how to spot Mars? It has a reputation for being the red planet. But its colour in the night sky is a little more on the Halloween side of the spectrum. It appears as a bright orange-red dot to the naked eye.

Mars’ unique colour is one clue that you have spotted the planet in the dark. It will be rising about five minutes earlier every night, and it will slowly shift towards the west. Sky gazers are advised to look to the eastern sky to catch the rising at night. This a great time for viewing, as suggested by researchers, because spotting the planet becomes simple.

Mars is one of the closest planets in our galaxy, which can be observed in the night sky from time to time. But the celestial event is a special opportunity, and it won’t happen again, until 2035. So, are you ready?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 12, 2020 07:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).