Mars closest to Earth on July 31: Here's where and how to watch live in India
New Delhi : Tonight, Mars will be closest to the Earth in a decade and a half. The Earth on the night of July 31 2018 will face the Red Planet and the Sun on either side with the three celestial bodies in a straight line. Though the two planets will be at closest distances to each other, they will still maintain a distance of 57.6 million km from each other.
On July 31, the Mars’ visibility will be good, which comes once in every 15-17 years. This will be the closest distance between Mars and Earth till October 2020. Experts say that sky gazers will be able to see Mars clearly till September but it will gradually appear smaller each passing day as it will leave the orbit closer to the Earth.
Though Mars is closest to the Earth in 15 years is a must-watch phenomenon, the kind of celestial event was previously observed in 2003. Mars and Earth were ‘just’ 56 million km apart, an occurrence that occurred in 60,000 years and will not happen again till the year 2287, as per NASA calculation.
Where and how to watch Mars closest to Earth in India
Well, the best place to watch Mars in closest position to Earth is in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, India may not be the best location for this celestial phenomenon. However, the planet may be easily visible from all parts of India, just not as clear as in Australia, South Africa or countries in South America. Sky watchers need to carry telescope with a large lens (6- to 8-inch in size) to be able to see the planet if in case the clouds don’t obstruct the view.
Besides, one may watch online how Mars comes closer to Earth on a YouTube live stream. NASA’s Griffith Observatory is hosting a live stream of the event With Mars in closest position to Earth in a long time you will be able to enjoy the event starting from sunset until sunrise. It is believed that the Red planet will be brighter than the gas giant Jupiter and as bright as Saturn in the night sky. Don’t you dare to miss!
