Astronomy Picture of the Day - Mars Approach 2020

APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 6 Oct, 2020 | Image Credit: Jonathan T. Grayson

[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.

[MtnClimber]

Tianwen-1 Mission to Mars Image Credit & Copyright: Jeff Dai (TWAN)

Explanation: On July 23, this Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket rose into a blue morning sky from China's Hainan Island Wenchang Satellite Launch Center. The rocket carried an orbiter, lander, and rover to ask Heavenly Questions on the ambitious Tianwen-1 mission to Mars. In fact Tianwen-1 was the second of three missions scheduled for a July departure to the Red Planet. The United Arab Emirates launched its Amal (Hope) Mars probe on July 19. NASA's launch of its Mars Perseverance Rover from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA is scheduled for July 30. That is the last planned Mars launch for 2020 though. The minimum-energy launch window for an expedition to Mars is coming to a close in 2020 and will reopen in 2022.

[MtnClimber]

In this photo released by MHI, an H-IIA rocket with United Arab Emirates' Mars orbiter Hope lifts off from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima, southern Japan Monday, July 20, 2020. A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed away Monday on a seven-month journey to Mars, kicking off the Arab world's first interplanetary mission.

[diatomite]

The Perseverance rover doesn’t arrive at Mars until Feb 18. I can’t say about the other two probes.

https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/

[minnesota_bound]

Is that God juggling Mars?.....

[minnesota_bound]

You click on the link it has interesting data on the trip...however the link from there is says:
Celebrate Diversity...
geez this @#$!

[doorgunner69]

Of course, to my east is an eight thousand foot volcano, not be seeing a thing for this year.

Did get a glimpse of Jupiter’s bands last night with a Vortex spotting scope set for 60X. Not well suited to sky stuff, but other than hard to aim, worked well enough.

[Sioux-san]

Imagine going 49 million miles away again, and still no shots of the Big Blue Marble out of the rear view mirror.