How to rule the Tuesday night sky in October

Forget it Halloween. This October is about the glory of Mars because the glowing red planet shows a show in the night sky. You can experience Mars as a bright spot for a month, but there are two special dates to mark on your calendar: Oct. 6 When the planet takes a closer look at Earth, Oct. .

Discovering Mars

Mars has the reputation of being the “red” planet, but its color in the night sky is a little more on the Halloween side of the spectrum. It looks like a small spot of shiny rust, a bright orange-red dot to the naked eye.

The distinctive color of Mars is a clue you found in the dark. Look at the eastern sky to catch the night rising. It will be brighter this month if your local weather cooperates to give you a better view.

Approach: Oct. 6

Mars, Oct. 6 marks Mars’ closest approach to Earth. This is a great time to grab a telescope and look a little better. Give it a wave NASA’s Perseverance Rover When you are in it. The vehicle is on track to reach the planet in February 2021.

On Tuesday, October 6, NASA shared an artist’s view of the intimate approach Compared to the last time it was hijacked in July 2018. The apparent sizes are very similar. This year, the minimum distance to Mars will be 38.6 million miles (62 million kilometers), which is 3 million miles farther than 2018.

Protest: Oct.13

When Mars and the Sun line up in the middle with the Earth, the Red Planet is said to be in opposition. This is the perfect time to monitor the movement of Mars across the sky. As the sun sets it rises in the east, moves across the sky and then sets in the west as the sun rises.

NASA describes the resistance “Effectively a ‘full’ Tuesday.” Tuesday, Oct. 13 Time to experience resistance. You have to wait more than two years for that to happen again.

Mars Pits: This wild NASA will fall into the abyss with pictures

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“Racerock model of planetary orbits explains why. Earth and Mars are like runners on a path. Earth is inside, Mars is outside.” NASA on its WhatsApp blog for October. “Every 26 months, the fast Earth slows down Mars and folds it up. Resistance occurs just as the Earth does.”

Mars is not the only one in the sky for October. You can too Look forward to a rare Halloween blue moon On October 31st when our lunar neighbor is full. It’s not scary; It’s boo – typical.