Stargazers wait to see Mars
March 3rd, 2012 - 9:31 pm ICT by IANSLondon, March 3 (IANS) People in the Northern Hemisphere might be able to see the Mars with their naked eyes this weekend when it is at its closest to Earth in over two years.
Stargazers are excitedly waiting to see the Red Planet in the night sky, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.
The event, known as an opposition, happens once every 26 months when the orbits of Earth and Mars align so that the two planets form a relatively straight line with the sun.
The opposition was expected to occur in the Northern Hemisphere at 11 p.m. EST this Saturday (4 a.m. GMT Sunday).
However, because of Mars’s elliptical path around the sun, the red planet will be closest to us Monday, when they will be about 100.7 million km apart.
With a telescope, gazers will be able to see the Red Planet’s ice caps and surface details, the Mail said Saturday.
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Tags: caps, daily mail, earth, elliptical path, gmt, london march, naked eyes, night sky, northern hemisphere, opposition, orbits, planets, red planet, straight line, sun, surface details, telescope