Mars As You’ve Never Seen Before

Mars will shine big and bright Tuesday

Mars will be a bright reddish-star Tuesday night as the Red Planet reaches its point of opposition with the Earth between it and the Sun. 

Visible with the naked eye and through a telescope we should be able to see surface features and polar ice caps.

Mars won't appear this bright again until 2035.

Researchers Discover Evidence of Ancient Rivers on Mars

New research has shown that billions of years ago, there was more than just water present on Mars, but entire rivers and lakes.

This newest research shows the first ever evidence that there were rivers and lakes on Mars' surface around 3.7 billion years ago.

Scientists made the discovery after studying some of the very detailed pictures taken of the Hellas Basin, a HUGE crater in the south of Mars, by Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Scientists were able to 'read' the rocks from these super detailed images to find out its geology and history.

The research revealed that rivers existed on the planet for around 100,000 years, and they were similar to the rivers we have here on Earth.

Researchers even believe the water may even have got there by rain or hail, just like it does on Earth.

Mars and Earth

Above photo is the Earth from Mars...

This photo is when the Sun sets on Mars...

What's Up With Mars

Prepare yourself to see the red planet up close and personal in the sky this month. Mars will be at its brightest since 2003, 

The Red Planet is just about to reach the part of its orbit called opposition, where it is exactly opposite the sun in Earth's sky. This year, it will also herald Earth's closest view of Mars in 15 years. Earth and Mars orbit the sun at different distances. Because Earth is closer to the sun, it orbits faster than Mars. Once every two years (or thereabouts), the sun.

Opposition this year will happen on July 27, with the closest approach of Mars on 3:50 a.m. EDT (0750 GMT) on July 31. Mars will be bright in the sky — its brightest since 2003, when it came to its closest distance to Earth in nearly 60,000 years. 

3 Aligned Towers Discovered On Mars

 

Located in the area of Terra Meridiani, researchers have spotted three ‘Towers’ on the Martian Surface that are so perfectly aligned, that just as the Pyramids of Giza on Earth, these Martian towers seem to mimic the constellation of Orion.

The towers are located in the Terra Meridiani region on Mars, coincidentally, the same region chosen as the landing spot for NASA’s Curiosity Rover.

The towers were first noted by YouTube channel Mundodesconocido. The Youtube channel posted a video discussing the towers.

The video description read:

"Investigating on some Mars images, we have recently found a row of huge towers located in the Martian area of Terra Meridiani. Due to their peculiar features, we believe that they have an artificial origin. In the following video, we will show you all the amazing information, evidences as well as animated 3D models that will allow you to evaluate correctly the information we propose."

 

3D rendering of the Martian structures. Image Credit Mundo Desconocido.

The Blue Moon and Mars-This Weekend

This weekend should be fun with two celestial events taking place: a ‘Blue Moon' and the opposition of Mars.

As for the Blue Moon


May's Full Moon is also called Full Flower Moon, the Full Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon. But this year, it will also go by the name of a Blue Moon.

A Blue Moon happens once every few years (you know, ‘once in a Blue Moon') and is commonly the name of the second full moon in a calendar month. 

But it's different this time around.

Usually, there are only three full moons in each season, but occasionally there is a season with four full moons. When this happens, like how it is this spring, the third of the four full moons earns the name of a Blue Moon.

Here's the weather for Saturday night's Blue Moon for those living in the United States.

Mars will be one of the brightest objects in the sky on Sunday night after the Moon and will be visible from dusk to dawn.

By the time Mars reaches opposition, it will have quadrupled in brightness since the beginning of April. Additionally, it will shine nearly 80 times brighter than it does when the planet is at its faintest.

Even if clouds block your view of Mars on Sunday night, it should remain bright for several weeks before it slowly and steadily becomes faint.

Mars will be one of the brightest objects in the sky on Sunday night after the Moon and will be visible from dusk to dawn.

According to EarthSky, by the time Mars reaches opposition, it will have quadrupled in brightness since the beginning of April. Additionally, it will shine nearly 80 times brighter than it does when the planet is at its faintest.

Even if clouds block your view of Mars on Sunday night, it should remain bright for several weeks before it slowly and steadily becomes faint.

About a week after opposition, Mars will make its closest approach to Earth in over 10 years.

At a distance of 46.8 million miles (75.3 million km), this will be the closest the Red Planet has been to our planet since 2003!