How to View Mars Close Approach

The close approach for Mars is tonight! Which means it will be easy to see in the night sky. Read on for tips on how to view the Mars close approach as well as what other planets you can see. I get commissions for purchases made through the affiliate links in this post.

What is Mars Close Approach?

The close approach is the point in Mars’ orbit when it comes closest to Earth. Some close approaches are closer than others because of the shape of the orbital paths of Earth and Mars and where they are in those orbits. Mars will be closer to Earth than it has been since 2003. That year was the closest it had been in 60,000 years! It won’t be that close again until 2287. Tonight, Mars will be 35.8 million miles from Earth and you should still get a spectacular view of the red planet. It won’t be this close again until 2035, although close approaches between Earth and Mars happen around every 26 months.

How to See Mars

You don’t need a telescope to see Mars. Search online or use a good astronomy app on your smartphone to find out when Mars will rise this evening. Mars rises at 8:17 PM CDT in our area. The planet will be visible to the naked eye in the southern portion of the sky as a large red spot. You should be able to see some additional detail with a good pair of binoculars or telescope. Contrary to what some internet hoaxes say, Mars will not be the same size as the moon tonight. That rumor is spread almost every time Mars makes a close approach and is completely false.

In the picture below you can see Mars as a tiny dot above the trees. It’s below the moon to the right.

Don’t worry if you miss it tonight. You’ll still be able to see Mars in the night sky for quite some time. It’ll just be getting smaller each night.

What Else Can You See?

While you’re out there looking at Mars, don’t forget to look at some of the other wonders of the night sky. A few nights ago, we took our oldest outside to see Mars and the other visible planets and stars through our telescope.

We were able to get a good look at the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn, as well as some constellations, such as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Here’s a picture of the full moon through our telescope.

 

Don’t worry if you have trouble finding astronomical objects. There are plenty of good, low-cost apps that will help you find them. I personally use Star Walk 2 as our night sky guide. After a little bit of practice and with the help of a good app, you and your kids will be able to quickly recognize many of the common objects and constellations. I find it helpful to quiz myself and the kids on them when we head out at night.

Good luck on your hunt for Mars tonight! I wish you clear skies!

NASA has an excellent site explaining the Mars close approach if you would like to read more (https://mars.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/night-sky/close-approach/) about the topic.