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Credit & Copyright: Fabio Carvalho
and Gabriela Carvalho
Explanation:
Tonight Mars is between
opposition (April 8) and closest approach (April 14)
looping through
the constellation Virgo
opposite the
Sun in the night sky.
That makes it prime season for telescopic views of the
the Red Planet, like this one from April 3rd.
The clear,
sharp image was captured with a high-speed digital camera and
16-inch diameter telescope from Assis, Brazil, Planet Earth.
Mars' north polar cap is at the top left.
Also visible are whitish
orographic
clouds - water vapor clouds condensing in the cold atmosphere above
the peaks of Mars' towering volcanos.
The exact dates of closest approach and opposition are
slightly different because of the planet's elliptical orbit.
Still, get your telescope out on the night of closest
approach (April 14/15) and you can view both Mars
and a total
eclipse of the Moon.
Mars will be about 1/100th the
angular size of the Moon.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mars
Publications with words: Mars
See also:
- APOD: 2025 July 15 B Collapse in Hebes Chasma on Mars
- APOD: 2025 July 6 B The Spiral North Pole of Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 29 B Dark Sand Cascades on Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 22 B A Berry Bowl of Martian Spherules
- APOD: 2025 June 15 B Two Worlds One Sun
- Perseverance Selfie with Ingenuity
- Deimos Before Sunrise