This Week - A Close Encounter With The Red Planet

All of us Earthlings are in for a real treat starting today. Our favorite planet Mars, is going to be just 99mm kilometers away, close enough for us to be able to see, even without a telescope - And, it will remain in that position for a whole week!

The red planet will first become visible in the east at sunset tonight and will resemble an extra-bright unblinking pumpkin-orange star. From then on, the planet will remain virtually in the same position all week, providing multiple viewing opportunities.

According to the experts, the best time to view the planet will be on Friday January 29th, when it will converge with the first full moon of 2010, and provide a dazzling display. Expected to rise alongside the moon at sunset, it will be directly overhead by midnight, remaining pretty close to the full moon, the entire time

Since Mars will also be very close to Sirus, the brightest star in the skies, here are some tips to figure out which one is the real deal. While Sirus is blue, Mars will be throwing off a reddish hue, like the tip of a lit match. Also Sirus is a star and will therefore be twinkling, whereas Mars will simply glare at you!

Though it will be a special sight even without telescopes, NASA is recommending you try get to one - that's because with summer coming to the Northern part of Mars, its bright polar cap and icy-blue clouds are shifting around daily, providing a true feast for the eyes.

Mars, also known as the Red Planet, is the fourth planet from the Sun in our Solar System. While the Earth and Mars have close encounters every 26 months, the distance varies - The closest the red planet has ever gotten to us was in 2003, when it came within 56mm km. While this year's gap is almost twice that, NASA researchers believe it is still worth a look - Let us know if you agree with them, by adding your comments below.

source: science.nasa.gov