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Mars Draws Near, Shines Bright

Our next chance for this good a look at red planet won't come until 2016

By Zach Samalin,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 14, 2007 4:56 PM CST
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(Newser) – Astronomers of all abilities—and children scanning the night sky for Santa Claus—should be able to see a gleaming Mars as the red planet draws close enough, and into the right position, to outshine Sirius as the brightest evening star. Practically brushing shoulders with Earth—a mere 54,783,381 miles off—our neighbor won't be this close again until 2016, Space.com reports.

Christmas Eve will bring Mars (from our terrestrial vantage point) directly opposite to the sun, with Earth in between. It will be easiest to see after it crosses the southern meridian, around 12:30 a.m. The real show, however, will be Dec. 23, when most US stargazers can see Mars accompany a full moon across the sky much of the evening.

An artist rendition released by the European Space Agency on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007 shows the main bodies of the solar system, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, the Earth, from left in foreground, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, from left in background. The Moon, the Earth's natural satellite, is seen...
An artist rendition released by the European Space Agency on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007 shows the main bodies of the solar system, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, the Earth, from left in foreground, Uranus, Neptune,...   (Associated Press)
In this image provided by NASA a promontory nicknamed Cape Verde can be seen jutting out from the walls of Victoria Crater in this approximate true-color picture taken by the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity Oct. 20, 2007. The rover took this picture more than a month...
In this image provided by NASA a promontory nicknamed "Cape Verde" can be seen jutting out from the walls of Victoria Crater in this approximate true-color picture taken by the panoramic camera on NASA's...   (Associated Press)
The silhouette of a single engine plane caught in the full moon on Saturday evening over Denver on Nov. 24, 2007. (AP Photo/Bill Ross)
The silhouette of a single engine plane caught in the full moon on Saturday evening over Denver on Nov. 24, 2007. (AP Photo/Bill Ross)   (Associated Press)
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope took this picture of Mars 11 hours before the planet made its closest approach to Earth on Aug. 26, 2003. If you have planetary vision, want to be on the cutting edge and don't get bored easily, the European Space Agency may be looking for you....
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope took this picture of Mars 11 hours before the planet made its closest approach to Earth on Aug. 26, 2003. If you have planetary vision, want to be on the cutting edge and...   (Associated Press)
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