Mars will be visible to the naked eye on July 31.
According to the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in the next few weeks, Earth's residents will have the opportunity to admire Mars in the sky when the Red Planet comes closest to Earth.
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| In the next few weeks, Earth's inhabitants will have the opportunity to admire Mars in the sky when the Red Planet is at its closest to Earth. Photo: National Geographic Channel |
On July 31, Mars will reach its closest point in its orbit to Earth, about 57.6 million kilometers away. This is the shortest distance between the two planets since 2003. At that time, Mars will appear larger and brighter in the sky, very easy to see with the naked eye.
This phenomenon only happens every 15 or 17 years. The last one was in 2003, when Mars was 55.7 million kilometers from Earth, the closest it had been in nearly 60,000 years.
Speaking to Mother Nature, astronomer Dean Regas of the Cincinnati Observatory said that to the naked eye, Mars will appear as a bright red spot in the southeastern sky after sunset. Mars will appear much brighter than the stars, brighter than Jupiter and almost as bright as Venus.
However, Mars will gradually fade in brightness in mid-August as the Red Planet and Earth gradually move further apart in their orbits around the Sun.
