New Delhi: On the night of Tuesday April 8, Mars, Earth, and the sun are arranged in a nearly-straight line. Astronomers call this event an 'opposition of Mars' because Mars and the Sun are on opposite sides of the sky. Oppositions of Mars happen every 26 months.
Mars rises in the east at sunset, and soars almost overhead at midnight, shining burnt-orange almost 10 times brighter than a 1st magnitude star.
If the orbits of Mars and Earth were perfectly circular, April 8 would also be the date of closest approach. However, planetary orbits are elliptical - that is, slightly egg-shaped - so the actual date of closest approach doesn't come until almost a week later.
On April 14, Earth and Mars are at their minimum distance: 92 million km. You won't have any trouble finding Mars on this night. The full Moon will be gliding by the Red Planet in the constellation Virgo, providing a can't-miss 'landmark' in the midnight sky.
Remarkably, on the same night that Mars is closest to Earth, there will be a total lunar eclipse. The full Moon of April 14-15 will turn as red as the Red Planet itself.
(With inputs from NASA)
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