Advertisement

Mars To Appear Closer And Larger Than It Has In 15 Years

Salem State University is hosting a viewing party Monday so stargazers can get a rare close-up look at Mars.

This Aug. 26, 2003 image made available by NASA shows Mars as it lines up with the Sun and the Earth. Photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope, it was about 55.8 million kilometers (34.6 million miles) from Earth. (J. Bell - Cornell U./M. Wolff - SSI/NASA via AP)
This Aug. 26, 2003 image made available by NASA shows Mars as it lines up with the Sun and the Earth. Photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope, it was about 55.8 million kilometers (34.6 million miles) from Earth. (J. Bell - Cornell U./M. Wolff - SSI/NASA via AP)

Physics professor Luke Conlin said Mars will be on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun and will appear closer and larger than it has in 15 years.

"We should be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars and maybe even catch a dust storm happening on the surface," he said.

To the naked eye, Mars will look like a bright red star. It will be visible for the next month or so, but won't be quite as close as it is Monday

The viewing party at the Collins Observatory starts at 8:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Advertisement

More from WBUR

Listen Live
Close