Earthlings Will Be Able To See Mars From Close

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If you want to see Mars on your telescope soon, tomorrow is the best chance. The red planet will be at its closest to Earth in 11 years on May 30.

People will be able to see Mars for at least two weeks, said Space. However, it will be closest to Earth on May 30 at 47.2 million miles. By June 12, it will be 48 million miles away.

Alan MacRobert, a senior editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, advised people to "Just look southeast after the end of twilight, and you can't miss it." He added that "Mars looks almost scary now, compared to how it normally looks in the sky."

For those troubled by bad weather or logistics, the online Slooh Community Observatory will provide for a free webcast of the event, beginning at 9 p.m. EDT.

Mars and Earth come closest to each other every two years. Due to the elliptical orbits of both planets, the distances of their closest approaches vary. In 2003, Mars was closer to Earth than it will be on May 30 because it was at opposition. At the time, it was the closest Mars had been to Earth in 60,000 years.

Since the planet will be quite bright during the event, one will be able to see it with the naked eye. Space said all you have to do is gauge your attention at the constellation Scorpius low in the southern sky (Northern Hemisphere). Mars sits right above the star Antares.

If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of Saturn. It sits right to the left of Antares and glows white.

Mars will appear as a full red if witnessed through binoculars. Although it will be hard to catch glimpses of Mars' ice caps and clouds through a telescope, amateurs will still be able to get a good look at the red planet.