The Hindu : New Delhi News : Mars to come closer to Earth

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Tuesday, Dec 18, 2007
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Mars to come closer to Earth

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, Mars will be relatively closer to Earth and would be visible to sky-watchers as the brightest object in the eastern skies after sunset.

According to Nehru Planetarium director N. Rathnasree, Mars will be closest to Earth at 5-30 a.m. on Wednesday. “About once every two years, Mars is at opposition, when its position as seen in the sky is opposite to that of the Sun. As seen from Earth, we have the Sun on one side and Mars on the other side. Around the time of opposition, the actual opposition of Mars happens on December 24.”

The Nehru Planetarium director said the brightness of Mars as seen for a few days around this date of closest approach would not appear to change so much, when viewed with the naked eyes or a moderate telescope. “Slowly, however, Mars would start moving away from opposition and the next opposition in 2010 would not bring Mars as close to Earth as it is now.”

Informing that the closest opposition in thousands of years had been in 2003, Ms. Rathnasree said since then Mars had moved slightly further away during this opposition, although closer than it would be for many future oppositions.

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