Mars at Opposition - Spot the Red Planet Tonight!

Image Credit: Hubble Space Telescope

Tonight, April 8, Mars will shine very brightly in our sky - the brightest it will appear until May 22, 2016. This is due to the orbital paths of the Earth and Mars around the Sun. Our planet in its smaller, faster orbit will pass between the Sun and Mars tonight (see picture below). This means our two planets will be relatively close together. Today the Red Planet is only 57.7 million miles away (it can be up to 249 million miles away), so it appears larger in our sky than usual, and it reflects more sunlight back at the Earth, making it very, very bright. 

As seen in our sky, Mars is directly opposite of the Sun right now – it will rise at sunset and be visible all night. Astronomers call this occurrence the opposition of Mars. It happens once every 26 months, which is the amount of time it takes the Earth to loop back around the Sun to line up with Mars again as both planets orbit our star. 

Image Credit: Starry Night Education

 

It is especially easy to spot Mars from Peoria right now. Look to the east after the sun goes down for what looks like a very bright red star. Because Mars is at opposition, for several weeks it will be brighter than all the nighttime stars (but not as bright as the planet Jupiter, which can be spotted at the sky’s zenith at sundown). If you have access to a telescope, now would be a good time to train it on Mars. The planet will be so close that you might be able to see the ice cap on the Northern pole.

If you want to be certain you are looking at Mars and not just a red star, follow the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle to Arcturus (an orange giant star – but not nearly as bright as Mars), and then speed on to Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. Mars will outshine all the stars in the constellation, looking red and brilliant in the sky. See the image below. 

Image Credit: Stellarium

 

Because the orbits of the Earth and Mars are not perfect circles, the planets will actually not reach their closest point until the night of April 14/morning of April 15, the night of the total lunar eclipse! Both objects will be close together that night too, making a great night for a star party. Be looking for a post about the total lunar eclipse coming soon.

As always, visit the Dome at the Peoria Riverfront Museum to learn all about what you can see in the night sky. Catch the Stars Over Peoria show to learn about the stars, planets and constellations you can see from your own backyard! See a full schedule and show descriptions here.