MARS!

The red planet is now spectacular!

In August the Earth was catching up with Mars to conclude an encounter that achieved the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history.

The next time Mars may come this close will be in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter’s gravity perturbs Mars’ orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again. Mars reached its closest approach to Earth on August 27, it came within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and is still (next to the Moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It attained a magnitude of -2.9 and appeared 25.11 arc seconds wide.

At a modest 75-power magnification Mars looks as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars is still easy to spot. At the end of August, Mars rises at nightfall and reaches its highest point in the sky at 12:30 AM. The event continues through September; the time of rising and highest point becoming slowly later.