Get ready to observe the RED PLANET

The night sky in the first half of 2020 was dominated by brilliant Venus in evening twilight. With Venus now in the morning sky, the low southern planets Jupiter and Saturn have taken up the reins in the evening sky. Later this year, however, there’s a big planetary event to look out for as the Red Planet appears high and bright in evening skies. Indeed, this autumn we’ll see the best opposition of Mars for many years to come.

A planet is said to be in opposition when the Earth lies directly between it and the Sun. As the planet sits in the opposite part of the sky to the Sun, it’s positioned closest to Earth for its current ‘apparition’, or period of visibility. It’s a good time to observe a planet, because it will appear bigger than usual. Opposition is a big deal for Mars because it’s a long way from Earth for most of the time, looking dim to the naked eye and small when viewed through a telescope. But as the distance between our