Most people believe that they cannot look at the cosmos without a telescope. Although a telescope does offer a close-up view of objects in space, you can still look at some planets at night without a telescope. Is Mars among these planets?
Yes, Mars can be seen at night without a telescope. It is one of the five brightest planets in our Solar System that can be looked at with the naked eye. It will look like a bright red spot in the night sky to the naked eye. It is a bright planet because of its close distance from the Sun.
Although Mars can be viewed at night without a telescope, it is not visible throughout the year. For most of the five bright planets, some necessary conditions must be present for you to see them. So, when can Mars be looked at?
When Can You See Mars at Night Without a Telescope?
Mars is a highly popular target for astronomy beginners because it can easily be seen anywhere in the world. A clear view of the night sky and some other conditions are essential for Mars to be seen at night without a telescope.
Time Of The Year
October is the best to look at Mars without a telescope. During this month, Mars is closer to Earth than the rest of the year. It will become fainter as Mars and Earth continue to travel further away from each other. This distance depends on their individual orbits around the Sun.
This time is also in line with the opposition. This occurs whenever Mars is directly opposite the Sun from the Earth. Throughout the rotation of their orbits, this opposition is when Mars and Earth are the closest to each other. Mars is at its brightest here because it is nearer to Earth than at other times.
This lineup of the Earth, Mars, and the Sun happens every two years. So, if you want to look at Mars at night without a telescope, keep a look out! This is also related to Mars Close Approach, which we will begin discussing.
Mars Close Approach
Close Approach is also related to the time of the year when Mars and Earth come near each other in their orbits around the sun. Here, Mars is at its minimum distance of 33.9 million miles from the Earth. However, this does not happen too often.
This is because both the Earth and Mars have elliptical orbits. These egg-shaped orbits mean that their distance from each other is not always the same. Instead, if both the Earth and Mars had perfectly circular orbits, their minimum distance would remain the same throughout the year.
Mars Close Approach occurs approximately every 26 months. Since Mars is closest to the Earth at this point, it is the best time to look at it at night without a telescope. Astronomers refer to this by saying that Mars is in Opposition.
Here’s how you can spot mars during this time:
Mars Retrograde
The Earth orbits around the Sun at almost twice as speed as Mars, completing two orbits at the same time as Mars completes one. Every 26 months, Earth comes up from behind in its orbit and overtakes Mars.
When this happens, it appears as though Mars is moving up and down while we are moving past it. Then, as we move further along our orbit, we see Mars from another angle, and it will appear in a straight line.
The time of Mars Retrograde is similar to Mars’s Close Approach, making it closer to the Earth. This makes it easier to look at Mars at night without a telescope.
Gravitational Force
Each planet in our Solar System has a different gravitational pull depending on its size. This gravitational pull influences other planets. Heavier planets, such as Jupiter, can pull lighter planets and change the shape of their orbits.
When Jupiter pulls on Mars and changes the shape of its orbit, the distance between Earth and Mars also changes. As this distance increases, finding Mars in the clear night sky becomes harder.
The orbits of Earth and Mars are also slightly tilted from each other. So, their relative distance from each other may increase whenever an additional gravitational pull acts on their orbits. This will make it challenging for us to see Mars without a telescope.
Having discussed the times and reasons that allow us to see Mars at night without a telescope, we will begin talking about what Mars appears like from the Earth.
What Does Mars Look Like from the Earth?
Mars is famously known for its rusty and red appearance. It appears as such because of the strong and frequent dust storms with iron oxide in them. These storms can become so large that they surround the whole planet. This makes the temperatures drop very low as carbon dioxide present in Mars’ atmosphere freezes.
These reasons collectively give the planet its other common name: The Red Planet. So, when you are trying to see Mars at night without a telescope, watch out for a bright red-colored dot in the sky.
Where To Find Mars In The Night Sky?
It is recommended to find Mars at midnight. Mars can prominently be seen in the constellation Taurus. This is to the northwestern side of the Orion stars. When observing Mars at night, you can spot the bright red dot as it moves in the western direction every night.
While moving west, it stands still for some time around 29th October and then starts moving westwards again. Mars can also be tracked by looking at its increasing brightness when it is near Mars Close Approach. By the end of each year, the brightness of Mars starts to fade, and it becomes harder to look at without a telescope.
Final Takeaway
Mars can easily be seen at night without using a telescope. However, the time of the year, Mars’s Close Approach, Mars in Opposition, and the gravitational pull from other planets should all be considered when trying to find Mars in the clear night sky.
