It was less than 11 months ago when the world was looking up to see a solar eclipse, and another phenomenon will be viewable this summer. Throughout the month of July, Mars is expected to be at its closest point to Earth in 15 years, giving astronomy lovers good nighttime viewing.
Local amateur astronomer Dr. James Clarke says just before 3 a.m. on July 28th, the orbits of Earth and Mars will be nearly aligned contributing to their close proximity.
Listen:
Neither planet has an exact circular orbit, and Dr. Clarke says for that reason, Mars won’t be at its most visible point until three days later.
Listen:
While Mars will be at its brightest point near the end of July, it is currently visible at night. Dr. Clarke says the best time to look for it is after 10:00 p.m.
Listen:
For more information about Mars and its opposition to Earth, go online to mars.nasa.gov.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI