Mars is again returning to our evening skies. It will become an especially bright orangish object this fall. No, not quite as close or as brilliant as in 2003, but higher in the sky (for northern hemisphere observers) making for better seeing conditions. 
Mars will reach longitudinal opposition to the Sun on November 7. Due to Mars' orbital eccentricity it will approach Earth most closely on October 29 at a distance of 0.46405 AU. On that date it will appear 20.17 arcseconds in diameter with a peak magnitude of -2.4 (similar to Jupiter's brightness when at opposition.) As the Earth passes by Mars in their race around the Sun, Mars will appear in retrograde (reverse) motion from October 1 through December 9.
Mars has been rising earlier each evening and now appears on the eastern horizon around 23:00 local time. Around the date of opposition it will be rising near the time of sunset. I've created a graphic demonstrating the position of Mars in the eastern sky each evening at 23:00 as viewed from Chicago over the next three months. The Moon is pictured in the background. The image should well serve most observers in the northern hemisphere. I made another chart that demonstrates Mars' oppositional loop and retrograde movement in ecliptical coordinates. To see them both, click:
http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html
Mars will reach longitudinal opposition to the Sun on November 7. Due to Mars' orbital eccentricity it will approach Earth most closely on October 29 at a distance of 0.46405 AU. On that date it will appear 20.17 arcseconds in diameter with a peak magnitude of -2.4 (similar to Jupiter's brightness when at opposition.) As the Earth passes by Mars in their race around the Sun, Mars will appear in retrograde (reverse) motion from October 1 through December 9.
Mars has been rising earlier each evening and now appears on the eastern horizon around 23:00 local time. Around the date of opposition it will be rising near the time of sunset. I've created a graphic demonstrating the position of Mars in the eastern sky each evening at 23:00 as viewed from Chicago over the next three months. The Moon is pictured in the background. The image should well serve most observers in the northern hemisphere. I made another chart that demonstrates Mars' oppositional loop and retrograde movement in ecliptical coordinates. To see them both, click:
http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html
For astronomical graphics, including
monthly wallpaper calendar, visit:
CurtRenz.com/astronomical
Curt Renz
