Mars at Opposition

What a night for stargazing! The Aquarids meteor shower will be nearly peaking… and while you’re waiting for the total lunar eclipse, check out Mars: The red planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Mars. A medium-sized telescope will allow you to see some of the dark details on the planet’s orange surface. Try viewing Mars in a large telescope to see if you can spot its polar ice caps or any of the darker regions on the rusty-red surface…