Connect with us

Science

Mars to come closest to Earth in 15 years

Published

on

However, Mars will look fainter by mid-August as the red planet and Earth will travel farther away from each other in their orbits around the Sun. (Pixabay photo)

However, Mars will look fainter by mid-August as the red planet and Earth will travel farther away from each other in their orbits around the Sun. (Pixabay photo)

Mars will look bigger and brighter in the coming weeks than it has appeared in the last 15 years, according to NASA.

On July 31, Mars will travel to the closest point in its orbit to Earth, about 57.6 million km from our planet. This is the shortest Earth-Mars distance since 2003.

When Mars and Earth are close to each other, Mars appears very bright in our sky. It also makes it easier to see with telescope or the naked eye.
Mars only comes close enough to allow this kind of view once or twice every 15 or 17 years. The most recent one happened in 2003, when the distance was only 55.7 million km away, the closest in nearly 60,000 years.

Dean Regas, an astronomer at the Cincinnati Observatory, told Mother Nature Network that this year’s event would be almost as good as that viewing.

“Mars will be visible to the naked eye,” he said. “In fact, you will be hard pressed to miss it. It will look like a glowing orange beacon of light rising in the southeast after sunset. It’ll be much brighter than any star, brighter than Jupiter, nearly as bright as Venus. And you’ll see it every night for the next several months.”

However, Mars will look fainter by mid-August as the red planet and Earth will travel farther away from each other in their orbits around the Sun.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Maria in Vancouver7 days ago

Fantabulous Christmas Party Ideas

It’s that special and merry time of the year when you get to have a wonderful excuse to celebrate amongst...

Lifestyle2 weeks ago

How To Do Christmas & Hanukkah This Year

Christmas 2024 is literally just around the corner! Here in Vancouver, we just finished celebrating Taylor Swift’s last leg of...

Lifestyle1 month ago

Nobody Wants This…IRL (In Real Life)

Just like everyone else who’s binged on Netflix series, “Nobody Wants This” — a romcom about a newly single rabbi...

Lifestyle2 months ago

Family Estrangement: Why It’s Okay

Family estrangement is the absence of a previously long-standing relationship between family members via emotional or physical distancing to the...

Lifestyle3 months ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle3 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...