Mars? When and where is the best viewing of it this week?

Question

I live in the Midwest of the US

Answer 1

Mars is on the other side of the Sun this month and not visible from anywhere in the world. That E-mail saying Mars will be closer than ever this August is bogus.

Answer 2

Actually, Mars is almost as far in its orbit as it gets from the earth. Right now, it is moving behind the sun as seen from earth, so its distance is earth-to-sun (93 million miles) + Mars to sun, (another140 million miles). There is not going to be anything to see

To have asked this question you are, no doubt, responding to a spam e-mail.

Even if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, you're probably too late to see Mars low in the western sky, although if you know exactly where to look and have a cloudless sky and perfect view of the western horizon, you might still catch a glimpse of the planet about one hour after sunset. The planet disappears into the evening twilight in the second half of August from places like Santiago and Melbourne. You cannot see it at all in the Northern Hemisphere of the earth, and certainly not from the American mid-west for the remainder of 2006.

Many have written with questions about your e-mail. (I guess it's a tribute to the breadth of this spam.)

Gavin's answer was complete rubbish, I'm afraid. He failed to note that the original of that e-mail spam was written for the year 2003, not 2006. Mars is long gone now.

There was a small kernel of truth in the spam. In August 2003 (three years ago) Mars made its closest approach to earth in several thousand years. I remember it well, but it was by no means the spectacular, full-moon sized object that the spammers lead (or led) people to believe. Mars appeared as a very bright ruddy star, but not even close to the normal brilliance of Venus, let alone the full moon.

Chin up, though. Mars will be at its best again around Christmastime, 2007. You need only be patient.

Answer 3

Mars just had its opposition last year, and is going closer to the sun, until it conjuncts with the sun sometime in October this year. Mars is currently around 18 degrees from the sun. It still can be seen, but with great difficulty. The best time to view Mars right now is at twilight, when the sun is a little below the horizon.

Therefore, Mars will never be visible at night time. Mars always has its opposition during odd number years. It just had one in 2005. The next time you can observe Mars for the whole night, at its closest approach on earth will be on Dec. 25, 2007.

Take note that we can never see a naked-eye Mars as big as a full moon. You need a telescope set up that will magnify Mars's tiny disk 75x to be able to see it that way. ^_^

Answer 4

The next "close encounter with the planet Mars is around December 20, 2007 at 88 million kilometers. The last "close encounter" with Mars was around October 30, 2005 at 69 million kilometers. I don't know where you heard about viewing Mars this week, but it's really nothing special.

Answer 5

Known as the Red Planet, it’s about to appear in spectacular fashion!

So mark your calender to watch throughout the month of August, but especially …
August 27, 2006

The Red Planet
This month and next, Earth will catch up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history.

The next time Mars may come this close: 2287.

Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and disturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years. But it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth.

It will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky.

It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification.

To the naked eye Mars will look as large as the full moon!

Mars will be easy to spot. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

And by the beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.

By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m.

That's pretty convenient to see something that no human being has seen in recorded history.

So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month.

Share this with your friends, colleagues, children and grandchildren.

… FOR NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN !

I have the pictures, I could send it to you if you want.

Regards,
Gavin

Answer 6

That email about Mars being as big as the moon was a hoax! Sorry mate.