MARS SEASON HAS ARRIVED
On 8 December 2022, Mars reaches opposition. It’s going to be a splendid telescopic target, well-placed for observation in the Northern Hemisphere and well worth observing in the dark winter months. And as an added bonus, on the same night as opposition the Moon will appear to pass in front of Mars in an event known as a lunar occultation. December is set to be the month of Mars. But before then, Mars will be growing steadily larger and brighter, meaning there’s plenty to see in the run-up. Here we’ll explore the exciting phenomena we can observe before and after opposition.
Opposition occurs when an outer planet is opposite the Sun in the sky. Sun, Earth and planet all lie in a straight line, with Earth in the middle, and at this time the planet is due south at midnight and visible all night. We don’t get a Mars opposition every year, nor are they all favourable for UK observers. This is due to the shape of
