Red planet Mars to come closest to Earth in 15 years on July 27
Star gazers, here's your chance to view the Red planet! As Mars is set to come to the closest point to Earth since 2003 when it reaches opposition with the Sun in late July. Mars opposition will occur on July 27,2018 according to NASA. Mars is photogenic during opposition because it can be seen fully illuminated by the Sun as viewed from Earth, NASA added. “Since Mars and the Sun appear on opposite sides of the sky, we say that Mars is in ‘opposition’,” NASA further explained. Opposition occurs once in 15 to 17 years within a few weeks of Mars’ perihelion - the point in its orbit when it is closest to the Sun. “An opposition can occur anywhere along Mars’ orbit. When it happens while the Red Planet is closest to the Sun (called ‘perihelic opposition’), Mars is particularly close to Earth,” NASA said. The 2003 opposition was the closest approach in almost 60,000 years, it added. -PTC News
