Mars opposition: How to watch the red planet shine super bright Tuesday

October 2020 is all about the glory of Mars as the glimmering red planet puts on a show in the night sky. We passed Mars’ close approach to Earth on Oct. 6 and now we can look forward to Tuesday, Oct. 13, when it will be in opposition. 

Spotting Mars

Mars has a reputation as the “red” planet, but its color in the night sky is a little more on the Halloween side of the spectrum. It appears as a bright orange-red dot to the naked eye, like a little spot of glittering rust.

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Mars’ distinctive color is one clue you’ve found it in the dark. Look to the eastern sky to catch it rising at night. This is a great time for viewing the planet, partly because spotting it is so simple. It should be visible for most of the night. As NASA says, “Simply go outside and look up and, depending on your local weather and lighting conditions, you should be able to see Mars.”

Check out our list of stargazing apps if you want some extra help with locating the planet.

Opposition: Oct. 13

When Mars and the sun line up with Earth in the middle, the red planet is said to be in opposition. This is a perfect time to track Mars’ movement across the sky. It will rise in the east as the sun goes down, move across the sky and then set in the west as the sun comes up. 

NASA describes opposition as “effectively a ‘full’ Mars.” Tuesday, Oct. 13 is the time to enjoy opposition. You’ll have to wait over two years for it to happen again. 

The Virtual Telescope Project, which brings us live feeds of celestial events, will stream a Mars opposition viewing starting at 1 p.m. PT. on Oct. 13. It’s a perfect way to enjoy the action without weather worries. For people in the US, it will give you a preview of what to look for after sundown. 

The project expects this to be “the best observing conditions since July 2018.” 

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“The racetrack model of planetary orbits explains why. Earth and Mars are like runners on a track. Earth is on the inside, Mars is on the outside,” NASA said in its What’s Up blog for October. “Every 26 months, speedy Earth catches up to slower Mars and laps it. Opposition occurs just as Earth takes the lead.”

Mars isn’t the only show-off in the sky for October. You can also look forward to a rare Halloween blue moon when our lunar neighbor is full on Oct. 31. It’s not spooky; it’s boo-tiful.

Rewind to the close approach on Oct. 6

Tuesday, Oct. 6 marked the close approach of Mars to Earth, but this entire month is still a good time to grab a telescope and get a little better look. Give a wave to NASA’s Perseverance rover while you’re at it. The vehicle is on track to reach the planet in February 2021. 

NASA shared an artist’s view of the Tuesday, Oct. 6 close approach compared with the last time it snuggled up in July 2018. The apparent sizes look very similar. This year, Mars had a minimum distance of 38.6 million miles (62 million kilometers), which is about 3 million miles farther away than in 2018. 

Close approach may be over, but the planet is still plenty bright in the night, so get out and take a gander, or tune into the Virtual Telescope Project’s live feed from the comfort of your computer.