Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:33 pm by globalturbo
https://youtu.be/5hubs0esS0E
nemesis maturity
Published on Jun 20, 2018
Mars grows dramatically in brightness and size this month and is visible by 10:30 p.m. by month end. The best views are in the early morning hours. Earth's closest approach with Mars is only a month away. It's the closest Mars has been to us since 2003. On June 27 Mars opposition occurs. That's when Mars, Earth and the sun all line up, with Earth directly in the middle. Four days later on July 31 Mars and Earth are nearest to each other in their orbits around the sun. Mars is over 200 thousand miles closer to Earth at closest approach than at opposition. But you won't see much change in the diameter and brightness between these two dates. As Mars comes closer to Earth in its orbit, it appears larger and larger and brighter and brighter. During this time Mars rises after the sun sets. The best time to see Mars at its brightest is when it is highest in the sky, around midnight in July and a little earlier in August. Through a telescope you can make out some of the dark features on the planet, some of the lighter features and sometimes polar ice and dust storm-obscured areas showing very little detail. After close approach, Earth sweeps past Mars quickly. So the planet appears large and bright for only a couple weeks. Clips, images credit: nemesis maturity channel, NASA/JPL, ESA/HUBBLE & ESO Music credit: YouTube Audio Library
