Mars with its mysterious dark markings and a white polar cap easily visible. Image Credit: NASA
As Venus and Jupiter continue to dazzle us in the western sky, the planet Mars – the world most like Earth in our solar system – appears in the east at sunset. Mars reaches opposition today at 20 hours Universal Time (UT). That is when the Earth passes in between the sun and Mars, so that the sun, Earth and Mars lie along a line in space, as viewed from above. At opposition, Mars lies opposite the sun in Earth’s sky. Look for this world to rise in the east around sunset, climb highest in the sky around midnight and set in the west around sunrise.
Illustrated guide to Venus Jupiter conjunction in February March 2012
For us on Earth, it means the best time to see Mars in this two-year period is here. And what a sight it is! Look for Mars in the eastern sky at nightfall and early evening, in front of the constellation Leo the Lion. Leo’s brightest star, Regulus, is to the upper right of Mars when they are in the east in the evening hours. Regulus won’t come close to matching the red planet Mars in brightness, even though Regulus ranks as one of the brightest stars in our sky.
Curiosity rover, now on its way to Mars, due to arrive in summer 2012. Image Credit: Idaho National Laboratory.
Because Mars is now opposite the sun in Earth’s sky, Mars rises in the east around sunset, climbs highest around midnight and sets in the west around sunrise. This brilliant world now shines from dusk till dawn. It’ll be hard to miss Mars because it’s the fourth-brightest star-like object to light up the night at this time, after the planets Venus and Jupiter, and the star Sirius.
Mars is shining brightly now for good reason. It’s at its closest to Earth until April 2014. Presently, Mars lodges a little over 100 million kilometers (62 million miles) away. Next year, however, when Mars lies on the far side of the sun from Earth, Mars will be some 3.6 times farther away and not even one-ninth as bright.
Why is Mars sometimes bright and sometimes faint?
Be sure to enjoy the red planet Mars while it shines at its brilliant best in March 2012. With Mars reaching opposition on March 3, look for this world to rise in the east around sunset – be highest in the sky around midnight – and to set in the west tomorrow around sunrise. It is reddish in color and very beautiful!
hi
I love watching the sky, always have done since Carl Sagan “lit up the sky” for me with Cosmos 30 years ago! Thank you for that!
I’m gonna get a new telescope soon
Question: How u can find Neptune?
Bryan
Neptune is invisible to the naked eye, u would need a good set of binoculars, then u’d need to b able to locate it. Right now pretty close to the sun so i wouldn’t bother. in a couple of months will b visible in the predawn sky, but u’d want a star chart or software or some means to be able to distinguish it from background starts as u look thru the binoculars.
What is ‘shining star’ in the west? I couldn’t see Mars due to clouds in Leeds, UK.
the brightest non-manmade objects in the W soon after sunset (barring any bright clouds) are the planets Venus (brighter but lower) and E of it Jupiter (dimmer, higher). I assume u were referring 2 one of those.
Too bad Mars will start to dim out starting tomorrow and will become an almost insignificant dim red point in the sky after several months, helping Antares justify its name!
My sister and I have just seen a large meteor flying through the sky, we are in Prestatyn for the weekend and have never seen anything like this before.
just seen meteor-bishop auckland,county durham-just like you- never ever seen anything like this before
Just seen a meteor, has anyone else seen it ?!!!!
Yes in scotland
Yes
We saw it pass over our house in North Yorkshire…it was huge! Never experienced anything like it before.
Seen it in liverpool……amazing
Can anyone identify the meteor or comet which has just passed east to west over /shaw greater manchester at aprox 2145
My freind and me have just seen it aswel we r in loch lomond Scotland it was amazin x
I saw the meteor,or comet over Limekilns fife at about same time
It past west coast of Scotland argyll at 21.37
Seen it in Ardross,Alness,IV17 judge before half past 9
Saw meteor or comet at 21.50 @ Cheadle Staffs. It came from the north to south east at first thought it was an aircraft on fire as the trail was massive. There was no sound and it was extremely bright at first then faded to orange as it passed over. Never seen anything like it before it was awesome.
I did hear a sound it literally was like a whoosh also to thought it was an aircraft on fire. Was truly amazing!
I was walking dog at 9.30pm near bradford and saw what I think is a meteror…it was orange with a tail and fizzled out after 10secs?
More like 9.50 thinking bout it….amazing
just seen it coming over our house wrexham about 10:00pm frightened me wife thought plane was on fire oh my god massive!!!!!!.
Saw a ?comet? with a really long tail fall straight down from the sky out my south facing window in Stonehaven at about 2200… Would be a comfort to know that’s what it was after watching ‘Attack the Block’ last week!
I HAVE OVER 8000 PICS OF , UFOS ON THE MOON. WILL YOU LOOK AT THEM PLEASE . THANKS KENNETH
Seen a meteor in Liverpool at approximately 9.45 pm tonight absolutely amazing never seen anything like this before. I though it was a plane at first on fire but after a couple of seconds it disappeared……. Great stuff.
THERE ARE LIGHTS ON MARS ,LOTS OF THEM, CAN I SHOW THEM TO YOU? KC
Took me a sec or too,to realise it was,nt an aircraft on fire,what a sight!
saw it going over kirkcaldy at around 21: 40
Yeah… Seen that! As of yet. Unidentified flying object. (Maybe) commet or meteor. Burning hot bright white yellow at the tip, and peterd off sparks and all, to golden a tail. Looked to be 90 degrees up from the ground coming from an estimaited north east, heading south west. Time around 9.55pm of the 3rd of the 3rd 20012. Seen from Paisley near west coast of Scotland…. Awsome.
We have just seen it driving home from Wolverhampton to Derby bright light with a tail it was AMAZING.
Yeah… Seen that! As of yet. Unidentified flying object. (Maybe) commet or meteor. Burning hot bright white yellow at the tip, and peterd off sparks and all, to golden a tail. Looked to be between 45 and 90 degrees up from the ground coming from an estimaited north east, heading south west. Time around 9.55pm of the 3rd of the 3rd 20012. Seen from Paisley near west coast of Scotland…. Awesome.
I saw it too! I live just outside Edinburgh. It was unbelievable. So bright! My first thought was also ‘is that a plane on fire’, followed by ‘is that going to land nearby and cause some serious damage?!’. Does anyone know where it landed? Amazing :)
WOW, i was driving about 1.5 hour ago on M6 before junction 40 to Penrith, saw like everyone alse said ”plain on fire” stoped on hard shoulder took my ipod out and record video, but by the time i took it out it was gone, some car on opposite side of motorway stopped as well, someting amazing, any videos ?????
Came out of the Showcase cinema in Coatbridge near Glasgow in Scotland saw a large bright light with what looked like it had a massive greenish tail shooting across the sky this was at 9:45 pm on the 3rd March 2012 this was massive
What a great sight to see
My daughter and I saw this comet /meteor 9.45 south side of Glasgow it moved horizontally across the sky awesome sight did anyone capture it on film?
I saw it, it was amazing. Right above my head travelling south. I’m from south shields.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGu33pU10e4&feature=youtu.be thats all iv got.
Saw it. Prestwick, Scotland. Approximately 9:40pm
I see Mars! Its even the redish orange color! Venus is brighter than ever in the west.
I saw it to. I’m in Loscoe, Derbyshire. About 9pm ish. it was quite big, looked like a huge firework with fire following it. was waiting for it to explode like a rocket but it just kept travelling. ran out onto back yard and it was still going. It was beautiful. (even though I was watching independence day and thought Oooooh heck) never seen anything like it before. Hope it makes the news.
Actually just checked my fb update at the time, it was later than 9pm. Sorry
i saw the comet,i was in oxton wirral,amazing sight.when i saw it i said to the people i was with and they said no its not haha i was right
I believe what people saw was the international space station
no David plenty of reports of the meteor, plus plenty of video. i will leave a link below in another comment.
1st off to all those posting from the British Isles, i am jealous as obviously this was an awesome fireball. Second, to all those mentioning the word “comet”, this is completely inappropriate, it was definitely a METEOR. Third, the link above is to a fairly lousy vid of it, while this 1 is much better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUjmHrJIVV0&feature=related
The sky is unusually clear in Oakland California. Both Venus and Jupiter are like bright beacons in the night facing us from the west. I guessed that Mars was beaming back at us from the east. it looks like from the prior comments that was right. Also almost in the western sky for us is the Little Dipper?
At that time (early night) the little dipper is almost entirely in the eastern part of the northern sky. so perhaps u were seeing another constellation?
saw meteor last night, at next door neighbours,we were sat round a fire watching the stars etc,when it flew past at 9.40pm is.It,was arrow shaped with red glowing to front 4or 5 red dots with large white tail,traveling north to south, quite low ! fantastic experience
should have mentioned saw meteor ,from east lothian,Scotland
[...] Mars at opposition on March 3, 2012 [...]
i cu jack
What was the green flash against a bright blue sky (lasted 3-5 secs) across East Bedfordshire about 1pm on Thursday 15th March. I was playing golf, and had a perfect view, and it was NOT a firework and the flash (meteorite ?) travelled in a straight South Easterly direction ?
Any one else see it ??
Graham,
That was probably an iridium flare satellite. See the Heavens-Above site at http://www.heavens-above.com/ for more information.
Bruce