Forget Halloween. This October is centered around the glory of Mars, with the sparkling red planet appearing in the night sky. You can enjoy Mars as a bright spot throughout the month, but there are two special dates to mark on your calendar: October 6 when the planet approaches Earth, and October 13, when it is in opposition. .

Mars discovery

Mars is known to be a “red” planet, but its color in the night sky is slightly more on the Halloween side of the spectrum. It appears to the naked eye as a bright orange-red dot, like a small patch of shimmering rust.

Mars’ distinct color is one clue I found in the dark. Look at the eastern sky to notice its height at night. It will look bright this month if the local weather cooperates to give you good visibility.

Close Approach: October 6th

Tuesday, October 6 marks the approach of Mars to Earth. This would be a great time to grab a telescope and get a little better looking. Give a wave to NASA Roving Perseverance While you are at it. The car is on its way to the planet in February 2021.

NASA shared an artist’s point of view on Tuesday, October 6’s approach Compared to the last incubation in July 2018. The sizes shown appear very similar. This year, Mars will have a distance of at least 38.6 million miles (62 million km), which is about 3 million miles farther than it was in 2018.

Opposition: October 13th

When Mars and the Sun line up with Earth in the middle, the red planet is said to be in opposition. This is the perfect time to track the movement of Mars across the sky. It will rise in the east when the sun sets, move across the sky and then set in the west as the sun rises.

NASA describes the opposition as Effectively “full” Mars. ” Tuesday October 13th is a good time to relish the opposition. You will have to wait more than two years for this to happen again.

Craters of Mars: See the cliff with these NASA wild images

See all photos

“The racetrack model of planetary orbits explains why. Earth and Mars are like runners on the track. Earth is inside, Mars outside,” NASA said in its What Up blog for October. “Every 26 months, fast Earth catches and corrupts slower Mars. Opposition occurs just as Earth takes the lead.”

Mars isn’t the only show in the sky for October. You can also Looking forward to a rare blue moon for Halloween When our neighbor is full moon on October 31st. It’s beautiful.