Not only does Mars seem to suffer the most on Earth, it is one of the most beautiful things in the night sky. It glows a faint red glitter against the pale twinkle of the stars around it. Anytime you get to see it it’s an amazing sight, but October is October 2020 Left Time to see the red planet from your back yard.
This month, Mars will shine brighter at any other stage of the year, and it will be bigger in our sky than it will be again for about 15 years. It all happens together in the month of October when you look for a red “star” shining in the eastern sky after sunset.
On October 6, Mars will be only 38.6 million miles away, per Sky and telescope. It is close to coming again by September 2035. Because of this proximity, it will be as big as the sky because by that date it will be about 15 years in the future. However, it will be relatively large during October-October and in November.
Then, on October 13, Mars will hit the opposition, while the Earth sits directly between the Sun and Mars. At a time when Mars will be at its full brightest point of the year, it will rise at sunset and remain until sunrise. Opposition to Mars occurs once every 26 months Astronomy. Still, some protests go further with Mars. This is relatively close.
However, you don’t have to go out on a protest night to enjoy the fun of Mars. It will be shockingly bright throughout the month. In fact, it will be the fourth brightest object in the sky behind the Sun, Moon and Venus, the morning star. He will keep that order during the scary months before he returns to fourth place in Jupiter.
In addition to the bright and orange red, Mars will be easy to find whenever you go out. It’s not just a night of protest, the planet will be out most of the night throughout the month. Get out there and admire the big red guy in the sky.
