Mars comes closest to Earth roughly every two years. Sometimes it’s closer than other times. Do you remember the historically close approach of Mars in 2003? At that time, Mars was closer than it had been in some 60,000 years. Mars was only slightly farther, but still very close, in 2018. At 14 UTC on January 12, 2025, Mars will be closest to Earth for its two-year period, but farther away than in 2003, 2018 or 2022. But not as far away as it’ll be in 2027.
On January 12, 2025, it’ll be 5.3 light-minutes away at a distance of 0.642 astronomical units (59.70 million miles or 96.08 million kilometers). Of course, these moments of closest approach are fleeting as both Earth and Mars move in their orbits around the sun.
Past and future Mars closest to Earth
Dates listed in UTC time.
- At its August 27, 2003, close approach Mars was 34.65 million miles (55.76 million km) away.
- At its July 31, 2018, close approach Mars was 35.78 million miles (57.59 million km) away.
- At its December 1, 2022, close approach Mars was 50.61 million miles (81.45 million km) away.
- At its January 12, 2025, close approach Mars will be 59.70 million miles (96.08 million km) away.
- At its February 20, 2027, close approach Mars will be 63.01 million miles (101.41 million km) away.
- At its March 29, 2029, close approach Mars will be 60.42 million miles (97.24 million km) away.
By the way, Mars won’t beat its 2003 performance until August 28, 2287, when the red planet will be 34.60 million miles (55.68 million km) away.
Read more: Chart showing Mars oppositions from 2018 to 2033
January Charts for Mars
Have you seen Mars yet? You can spot it easily with the eye alone as the bright red “star” in the east every evening, and in the west before dawn. In fact, Mars is about the same brightness as Sirius, our brightest nighttime star. Only the planets Venus and Jupiter shine brighter than Mars in January 2025.
Read more: Mars is racing toward opposition in January 2025: Start watching now!
Why aren’t we closest to Mars at its opposition?
If both the Earth and Mars circled the sun in perfect circles, and on the same exact plane, the distance between Earth and Mars would always be least on the day of Mars’ opposition. But we don’t live in such a symmetrical universe. All planets have elliptical orbits and a perihelion (closest point) and aphelion (farthest point) from the sun.
Mars’ orbit around the sun takes 687 days in contrast to 365 days for Earth. It has a year nearly twice as long as ours. Earth’s farthest point from the sun comes yearly in early July. Mars was at its closest to the sun for 2025 on January 1 and has been edging away from the sun each day. At the same time, Earth has been moving closer to the sun.
At its opposition on January 15-16 – when Earth will be directly between Mars and the sun – Mars will be farther from the sun than on January 12. On the other hand, Earth will be closer to the sun (and therefore farther from Mars) on January 15-16 than January 12. That all adds up to Earth being slightly closer to Mars on January 12 than January 15-16.
The time interval between a Mars opposition and its least distance from Earth can be as long as 8.5 days (1969), or as little as 10 minutes (2208 and 2232).
Generally speaking, Mars is at its brightest in 2025 throughout the month of January. It will be shining as bright as Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.
Is Mars brightest when it’s closest?
Mars is not necessarily at its brightest when its closest to Earth. You might think Mars should be brighter when it’s closest to Earth on January 12 than at opposition on January 15-16. But it’s not.
Mars is a tiny bit fainter now than it will be at its January 15-16 opposition. That’s because of something known as opposition surge. Mars reflects sunlight most directly back to Earth at opposition. This directness accentuates Mars’ brilliance. Before and after opposition, sunlight is reflected at a slightly slanted angle relative to Earth, thereby reducing Mars’ brightness.
Earth swings between Mars and the sun every other year, at progressively later dates. Earth will next lap Mars on February 19-20, 2027. In the year 2027, Mars’ opposition comes on February 19, 2027, and Mars sweeps closest to Earth on February 20, 2027. At a distance of 63.01 million miles (101.41 million km), this will present Mars’ most distant opposition in the 21st century (2001 to 2100). Mars reaches aphelion – its farthest distance from the sun – on March 4, 2027. Its 2029 opposition will see Mars closer and brighter than in 2027 but its next closest and brightest opposition is September 2035.
Geocentric Ephemeris for Mars: 2025
Bottom line: The Mars opposition – when Earth flies between the sun and Mars – comes on January 15-16, 2025. But Mars and Earth are closest on January 12, 2025. You can easily see Mars with the eye alone. It looks like a bright red “star” in the east every evening, in the west before dawn.
The post Mars closest to Earth on January 12, 2025 first appeared on EarthSky.
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Mars comes closest to Earth roughly every two years. Sometimes it’s closer than other times. Do you remember the historically close approach of Mars in 2003? At that time, Mars was closer than it had been in some 60,000 years. Mars was only slightly farther, but still very close, in 2018. At 14 UTC on January 12, 2025, Mars will be closest to Earth for its two-year period, but farther away than in 2003, 2018 or 2022. But not as far away as it’ll be in 2027.
On January 12, 2025, it’ll be 5.3 light-minutes away at a distance of 0.642 astronomical units (59.70 million miles or 96.08 million kilometers). Of course, these moments of closest approach are fleeting as both Earth and Mars move in their orbits around the sun.
Past and future Mars closest to Earth
Dates listed in UTC time.
- At its August 27, 2003, close approach Mars was 34.65 million miles (55.76 million km) away.
- At its July 31, 2018, close approach Mars was 35.78 million miles (57.59 million km) away.
- At its December 1, 2022, close approach Mars was 50.61 million miles (81.45 million km) away.
- At its January 12, 2025, close approach Mars will be 59.70 million miles (96.08 million km) away.
- At its February 20, 2027, close approach Mars will be 63.01 million miles (101.41 million km) away.
- At its March 29, 2029, close approach Mars will be 60.42 million miles (97.24 million km) away.
By the way, Mars won’t beat its 2003 performance until August 28, 2287, when the red planet will be 34.60 million miles (55.68 million km) away.
Read more: Chart showing Mars oppositions from 2018 to 2033
January Charts for Mars
Have you seen Mars yet? You can spot it easily with the eye alone as the bright red “star” in the east every evening, and in the west before dawn. In fact, Mars is about the same brightness as Sirius, our brightest nighttime star. Only the planets Venus and Jupiter shine brighter than Mars in January 2025.
Read more: Mars is racing toward opposition in January 2025: Start watching now!
Why aren’t we closest to Mars at its opposition?
If both the Earth and Mars circled the sun in perfect circles, and on the same exact plane, the distance between Earth and Mars would always be least on the day of Mars’ opposition. But we don’t live in such a symmetrical universe. All planets have elliptical orbits and a perihelion (closest point) and aphelion (farthest point) from the sun.
Mars’ orbit around the sun takes 687 days in contrast to 365 days for Earth. It has a year nearly twice as long as ours. Earth’s farthest point from the sun comes yearly in early July. Mars was at its closest to the sun for 2025 on January 1 and has been edging away from the sun each day. At the same time, Earth has been moving closer to the sun.
At its opposition on January 15-16 – when Earth will be directly between Mars and the sun – Mars will be farther from the sun than on January 12. On the other hand, Earth will be closer to the sun (and therefore farther from Mars) on January 15-16 than January 12. That all adds up to Earth being slightly closer to Mars on January 12 than January 15-16.
The time interval between a Mars opposition and its least distance from Earth can be as long as 8.5 days (1969), or as little as 10 minutes (2208 and 2232).
Generally speaking, Mars is at its brightest in 2025 throughout the month of January. It will be shining as bright as Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.
Is Mars brightest when it’s closest?
Mars is not necessarily at its brightest when its closest to Earth. You might think Mars should be brighter when it’s closest to Earth on January 12 than at opposition on January 15-16. But it’s not.
Mars is a tiny bit fainter now than it will be at its January 15-16 opposition. That’s because of something known as opposition surge. Mars reflects sunlight most directly back to Earth at opposition. This directness accentuates Mars’ brilliance. Before and after opposition, sunlight is reflected at a slightly slanted angle relative to Earth, thereby reducing Mars’ brightness.
Earth swings between Mars and the sun every other year, at progressively later dates. Earth will next lap Mars on February 19-20, 2027. In the year 2027, Mars’ opposition comes on February 19, 2027, and Mars sweeps closest to Earth on February 20, 2027. At a distance of 63.01 million miles (101.41 million km), this will present Mars’ most distant opposition in the 21st century (2001 to 2100). Mars reaches aphelion – its farthest distance from the sun – on March 4, 2027. Its 2029 opposition will see Mars closer and brighter than in 2027 but its next closest and brightest opposition is September 2035.
Geocentric Ephemeris for Mars: 2025
Bottom line: The Mars opposition – when Earth flies between the sun and Mars – comes on January 15-16, 2025. But Mars and Earth are closest on January 12, 2025. You can easily see Mars with the eye alone. It looks like a bright red “star” in the east every evening, in the west before dawn.
The post Mars closest to Earth on January 12, 2025 first appeared on EarthSky.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/5NgEdOi
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