Posted on 10/06/2020 4:19:16 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: Look to the east just after sunset tonight and you'll see a most impressive Mars. Tonight, Mars will appear its biggest and brightest of the year, as Earth passes closer to the red planet than it has in over two years -- and will be again for another two years. In a week, Mars will be almost as bright -- but at opposition, meaning that it will be directly opposite the Sun. Due to the slightly oval shape of the orbits of Mars and Earth, closest approach and opposition occur on slightly different days. The featured image sequence shows how the angular size of Mars has grown during its approach over the past few months. Noticeably orange, Mars is now visible nearly all night long, reflecting more sunlight toward Earth than either Saturn or Jupiter. Even at its closest and largest, though, Mars will still appear about 100 times smaller, in diameter, than a full moon.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then zoom by moving the magnifying glass over an area and then clicking. The side bars will move the zoomed area over the photograph.
My favorite planet. Don’t tell the others.
Pinging the APOD List.
Today’s post has a cat in the explanation at the link. Scientist humor.
looking forward to Tomorrow’s picture: flying bat squid
Sounds like Chinese soup.
The cat is “noticeably orange”...
All of those Mars exploration launches a while back were for this close approach. They should be arriving about now.
I have heard that Jupiter and Saturn were slightly annoyed, "but Uranus" didn't give a crap.
I was squinting at the marsrise last night and realized I could perceive it as a disk! So exciting!
Saturn is losing its iconic rings
I heard that Uranus was pissed, but that could be the Covid talking.
Is the cat’s name Orion?
I guess it didn’t like it when they moved the testing to the rear.
Obviously due to carbon emissions.
I feel bad they didn’t get to finish their pirogies. I love pirogies.
I’ve been checking out Mars for the last few nights. It’s really really bright compared to normal.
We have very dark skies here in the rural area I live in, and I looked at Mars over the weekend and it was very noticeable, a bright red-orange disc in the sky. But last night and I’m afraid, again tonight, it’s going to be too smokey here in eastern California to see it.
Mars 2020 from 5,000 Feet Image Credit & Copyright: John Kraus
Explanation: On Thursday this snapshot from a small plane 5,000 feet above Florida's Space Coast caught a rocket's trail rising into the blue morning sky. It was July's third launch of a mission from planet Earth bound for Mars. The Atlas V rocket left Cape Canaveral Air Force Station from Space Launch Complex 41 at 7:50am EDT carrying NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. The car-sized Perseverance is headed for a landing at Jezero Crater on the Red Planet in February 2021. On board the sophisticated rover is the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.
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