Mars will be closer to the Earth on Tuesday night, a rare and exceptional show

Tonight, the red planet will pbad closer to us. It was 15 years since this show had not taken place and the next will not be before 2287. At that time, only 56 million kilometers separated Mars and Earth, such a rapprochement had not taken place for 60,000 years .

This Tuesday night, the red planet will be only at a distance of 57.6 million kilometers.

The average distance between Earth and Mars is about 225 million kilometers. This distance evolves because as they have elliptical orbits, they move closer and move away from each other depending on their position. These orbits can also change depending on other planets nearby. They can move away at a maximum of 402.3 million kilometers, when the two planets are diametrically opposite to the sun.

The red planet will appear bigger and its coppery robe will be incandescent in the night sky. At the end of the twilight, look up to the sky in the southeast direction. This exceptional spectacle is noticeable to the naked eye if the sky is clear enough. Otherwise, do not hesitate to take the binoculars, glbades and telescopes to take full advantage of the phenomenon.

If you do not know how to observe it, it is possible to follow the Nasa live from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California (United States).