Have you noticed that Mars has been getting brighter and redder over the past few months?
Sunday, January 12, 2025 Mars It will be closest to the Earth since 2022 and enter its annual opposition. Shortly thereafter. In addition to providing the best chance to see Mars at its largest and brightest, it will also be the perfect time to launch a spacecraft to the Red Planet.
Here’s everything you need to know about observing and understanding Mars’ opposition in 2025.
Mars Opposition: What to Know
Every 789 days, Mars, Earth and sun Alignments, astronomers call oppositions. planetary opposition Jupitersaturn, Uranusand Neptune It happens almost every year because Earth’s faster orbit causes it to pass between these planets and the sun almost once a year, but Mars is a little different.
That’s because Mars and Earth are relatively close. Earth’s orbit around the Sun is approximately 365 days, much shorter than Mars’ 687 Earth-day orbit. Therefore, Earth passes between Mars and the Sun once every 789 days, just over two Earth years, when Mars and Earth are closest.
Mars Opposition: Observations
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As seen from Earth, Mars is also fully illuminated by the Sun during opposition. This makes it easier for amateur astronomers and astrophotographers to use Good backyard telescopeand observations by professional astronomers using space-based telescopes.
Key features observed on the rust-red surface of Mars include the canyon system of Valles Marineris; the largest volcano in the solar system, olympus; and Earth’s Antarctic ice cap. These prominent features are best viewed using a refractor telescope of long focal length (the distance from the objective lens to the focal point) that accommodates eyepieces that provide 200x magnification.
In addition to being able to see the Martian disk 100% illuminated by the Sun at night, opposition also provides the opportunity to observe Mars rising in the east at sunset and setting in the west at sunrise, making these by far the most convenient Time to observe the red planet through a telescope or with the naked eye.
Mars Race: Key Dates
There is an official date for Mars opposition, but it’s not the only night to observe Mars opposition. The red planet actually gets brighter three days ago when it’s closer to Earth (a result of both planets having elliptical orbits). There will also be some close conjunctions near opposition, which may provide some of the most dramatic and brightest views on Mars.
Here are some key dates to note:
- Sunday, January 12, 2025 (13:38 UTC): Mars will make its closest approach to Earth since 2022 at 59,703,891 miles (96,084,099 kilometers) Zodiac sign Cancer.
- Monday and Tuesday, January 13-14, 2025: Mars will reportedly be obscured by the full Wolf Moon in North America overnight sky webwhich gives the time for all locations.
- Thursday, January 16, 2025: Mars forms an opposition in Gemini.
- Sunday, February 9, 2025: Mars will conjunct the Waxing Gibbous Moon
While these exact dates are important, they may deviate from the overall recommendation: the main window for observing Mars is December 2024 to February 2025.
Mars Opposition: Perihelion Opposition
During opposition, Mars will be at Gemini. It will be a dramatic event as a bright red point of light will appear on the Red Planet and dominate Earth. night sky. However, relatively speaking, this Mars opposition will not be particularly impressive. That’s because 2025 is not what astronomers call “perihelion opposition,” the time when Mars is closest to Earth and closest to the Sun in its slightly elliptical orbit.
During perihelion opposition, Mars’ disk may appear as large as 24 arcseconds, and the planet can scale -2.6. By 2025, that number will be much smaller, at 14.6 arcseconds (2.6 arcseconds smaller than the same period in 2022, according to the agency) Society of Lunar and Planetary Observers), and glows with a dimmer amplitude of -1.4.
Perihelion oppositions only occur every 15 to 17 years; the last one was in 2018 and the next one is in 2033.
Mars Opposition: Mission
Any journey between Mars and Earth takes a minimum amount of time before Mars reaches opposition. So, come December, the launch window will open for efficient, cost-effective missions Hohmann transfer orbitwhich allows them to launch from Earth before the spacecraft catches up to and beyond Mars. Keeping the journey as short as possible is crucial because about half the weight of most spacecraft is fuel.
NASA had been planning to launch its Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorer (EscaPADE) mission, a two-orbiter spacecraft that would study Earth’s space weather. it is due to firing at the top blue originof new glen The rocket will be launched in October 2024 to take advantage of the proximity of Mars, but it is Postponed to spring 2025 or later.
Mars Opposition: Consequences
Although opposition occurs in early 2025, the Red Planet will dominate for much of the year. However, it will disappear in the dazzling sunshine in late November 2025.