Mars in opposition and closest to the Earth in a decade – Newsweek Poland

On Sunday, Mars will be in opposition, which is exactly the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun. At the same time it will be very close to our planet. It’s the best of the decade opportunity to observe the object, especially in the World Day of the cosmos.

The opposition means that the Sun, Earth and Mars will set up in a line directly opposite each other. The best conditions for observation, because the red planet found around nieosłonecznionej side of the Earth, will present its lighted hemisphere. It is furthermore relatively close to Earth. This allows you to see through the telescope many interesting details on the planet’s surface.

Why is this interesting event for astronomers? If the orbits of the planets were circles, any opposition would look the same phenomenon and one that is not excited. The orbits are elliptical, however, by what successive oppositions differ from each other. In the case of Mars, which has one of the most elliptical orbits in the solar system, there is so much kinds of opposition, that experts singled out from among them regular (every 780 days) and the Grand oppositions, which can be observed once every ten years.

on Sunday, we will see the usual opposition, but due to the proximity of Mars from Earth (76 million km) will be the most exciting phenomenon of the decade (the last opposition, in 2014, Red the planet was far away from us by 92 million km).

Last Mars was in the Opposition August 27, 2003 year. Then there was the biggest “holiday” astronomers, and thanks to the shortest distance from Earth in the last 60 thousand years (55.8 million km). On the next so spectacular phenomenon we have to wait for 2,287 years. Along the way we will see another United Opposition, which happens in July 2018 year.

phenomenon mainly will enjoy the inhabitants of the Southern Hemisphere. All through that of our latitudes will see Mars in the constellation Scorpio, and so it will rise until the chair. 20:30 and will towered after midnight at a height of 16 st. On the horizon – warn experts from the Copernicus Science Centre. Although it is worth looking at the sky niemigocącego point in the vicinity of Saturn, the star Antares, and the full moon.