October October 2020 is about the glory of Mars as the glowing red planet makes a display in the night sky. On October 6 we passed the approach of Mars closer to Earth and now we can see that we are in opposition to Mars.
Spotting Mars
Mars has a reputation as a “red” planet, but its color in the night sky is slightly higher on the Halloween side of the spectrum. It looks like a small piece of rust shining like a bright orange-red dot to the naked eye.
The distinctive color of Mars is a clue you found in that darkness. Look up at the eastern sky to catch it as the night progresses. This is the best time to see the planet, in part because it is so easy to find. It should be visible for most of the night. As NASA says, “Just go out and look and, depending on your local weather and lighting conditions, you should be able to see Mars.”
Check us out List of stargazing apps If you want to find some extra help in finding the planet.
Opposition: 13 Oct
When Mars and the Sun join Earth in the middle, the red planet is said to be in opposition. This is a good time to track the movement of Mars in the sky. It rises in the east as it goes under the sun, revolves around the sky and then settles in the west as it rises above the sun.
NASA describes the protests as “effectively ‘complete’ Mars. Tuesday, Oct. 13. It’s time to enjoy the protests. You have to wait two years for that to happen again.
The Virtual Telescope project, which brings us live feeds of celestial events, will begin the anti-Mars view at 1 p.m. Oct. 13. This is a perfect way to enjoy the action without worrying about the weather. U.S. For those who live in, it will give you a preview of what to watch out for after Sunday.
The project expects this to be “the best observation situation since July 2018.”
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“The racetrack model of planetary orbits explains why. Earth and Mars are like runners on the track. Earth is on the inside, Mars is on the outside,” NASA said in its October What’s Up blog. “Every 26 months, a faster Earth pulls Mars slower. There is also opposition as the Earth takes the lead.”
Mars is not the only show-off in the sky for October. You can too Wait for a rare Halloween blue moon When our lunar neighbor Oct Kto. Filled at 31. It’s not spooky; It is boo-tutorial.
6 Oct Returning to the nearest approach
Tuesday, Oct 6 marked the closest approach of Mars to Earth, but this whole month is still a good time to grab a telescope and get a little better. Wave NASA’s Perseverance Rover When you’re on it. The vehicle is on track to reach the planet in February 2021.
NASA on Tuesday, Oct. Approach shared the opinion of one artist compared to being smuggled in July 2018 with an approach closer to October. The apparent size looks very similar. The minimum distance to Mars this year was 38.6 million miles (62 million kilometers), which is about 3 million miles away compared to 2018.
A closer approach may be over, but the planet is still very bright at night, so get out and join the live feed of the Virtual Telescope project from the comfort of your computer, or tune in.