Mars enthusiasts will be delighted to know that the big, bright planet is set to grace the night sky this 2016, when the climax of the show will be this spring. The apparent display of the red planet is considered rare so it is a must to know the best times to watch.
Because Mars is smaller than Earth, people only usually see it as a red blob of mass up in the sky. Thanks to a phenomenon called Mars opposition, earthlings are given the chance to view its surface details, clouds and dust storms more vividly.
Mars opposition happens when the sun and Mars are at the opposite sides of Earth. Such event is rare because the two planets have varying distances from the sun.
"Mars oppositions happen about every 26 months," states NASA.
Earth is closer to the sun, thus it orbits around it more quickly. In comparison, Earth can make two trips around the sun in the amount of time Mars can make a single trip.
Going back to the Martian show this year, experts predict that from the latter part of April to the middle of July, Mars will be closer to Earth than any other time since 2003.
Specifically, from April 25 to July 10, Mars will sustain its size, which is said to be larger than the last opposition in April 2014.
Skywatchers should mark the following dates to clear off their night schedule for some serious sightseeing.
May 2016
May 2016 is the peak of the show. On May 30, Mars will appear bigger and brighter than it has ever been observed for almost 13 years. The planet will come close to Earth at a distance of 46.8 million miles, which is 10.6 million miles closer than in the 2014 opposition. During this time, Mars will appear 18 percent wider and twice brighter than when it was two years ago.
July 2016
Mars will be at one of its equinoxes on July 4. This means that skywatchers will be able to see the planet from pole to pole when it reaches its brightest and largest state.
October 2016
On Oct. 29, Mars will come to its perihelion, which is its closest distance from the sun.
From October to December 2016, Mars will shrink and return to its size to when the year started.
2016 is indeed a prime Mars observation year. The next show will be in 2018, which is said to be much better as the minimum distance of Mars and Earth from each other will be 35.8 million miles only.
The show may not be as spectacular for all skywatchers across the world as every time a very close opposition takes place, Mars lies in the southern part of the zodiac.
With this, people from the midnorthern nations may not have the best quality experience because Mars will sit down low in the sky during the opposition. Mars will only reach about 28 degrees above the southern horizon during the deepest of the night.
Ten degrees is roughly equivalent to the width of a clenched fist. Therefore, Mars will be sitting just about three clenched fists high above the horizon.
