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Earth flies between Mars and sun on May 22, bringing it closer than Mars has been in over a decade. How to find and enjoy Mars during 2016's close opposition!
October 12, 2020
Image at top: When Mars reaches opposition, Earth is between Mars and the sun. Mars and the sun shine on opposite sides of our sky. Visualization via Kel Elkins/ NASA.
On October 13, 2020, Mars comes to opposition in Earth’s sky for the first time since July 27, 2018. In its smaller orbit around the sun, Earth will pass more or less between the sun and Mars at around 23:00 UTC (7 p.m. EDT, 6 p.m. CDT, 5 p.m. MDT and 4 p.m. PDT); translate UTC to your time. When Mars is at opposition, the sun and Mars are on opposite sides of Earth’s sky. Mars rises in the east at sunset, is at its highest at midnight, and sets in the west at sunrise. At this year’s opposition, in particular, Mars will be a fiery red and very wonderful sight all night long. Mars will be brighter at this year’s opposition than it will be again until the year 2035.