This week,
the popular Red planet is coming closer to saying ‘Hi’ to earthlings!

So, it turns out Mars is not just closest to our
heart but also to our actual planet of residence! This week, Mars is at its
closest to Earth, giving you a golden opportunity to marvel at the Red Planet with your
own eyes.

On October 6^th, Mars nosedived within
38,568,816 miles of Earth (62,070,493 kilometers), making a smooth, close
approach. This is the closest it will be for the next 15 years or until
September 2035.

The Red Planet is quite visible, high in the
eastern sky. It seems like a mesmerizing reddish light if the weather in your
region permits to see it.

NASA wrote in a sky
watching guide that October is the best month to view Mars. The red planet remains visible the entire night these days as it reaches the topmost point in our sky. 

Earth and Mars move around the sun in an elliptical
manner, orbiting in the same direction but at different speeds and at different
distances from our stars. With this pattern, every 780 days, or every two years,
Mars and Earth come closest to each other. So, this week they will be at their
closest!

On October 13^th, the Earth comes
between the sun and Mars and they all line up in their respective orbits.

According to the Earthsky.org; when both the Mars and earth perfectly circles the sun and on the same plane, the Earth and Mars’ distance becomes least on the Mars’ opposition day. However, we don’t live a perfectly symmetrical universe. 

If you’re confused with the phenomenon, here’s a better
explanation:

It was in 2018 when the last time Mars got closest
to our planet; it was even closer in 2003—the pair made a historic approach.

Though the planet is still not as close as our
moon is to Earth, it will not appear to be as big as the moon in the sky. But
the Red planet will have an additional glow this October.

In fact, the brighter it gets, the more it will be
visible as the moon in the sky.

You just have to look up, and spot the red glowing
planet somewhere in the sky. This week is a once-in-years opportunity that we
probably won’t get again until 2035. Don’t forget to wave ‘Hi’ to Mars as it
goes past you!