Moon pairs with brightening Mars tonight
The moon continues its trip through the planets tonight. Just after midnight, the moon and Mars will rise in tandem.
Saturn will not be too far away. It will be just west of Mars and not as bright as the Red Planet.
Mars is growing brighter every night. On July 27, Mars will reach opposition. This is when Earth will be directly between Mars and the sun. Therefore, Mars will look very bright and grace the sky all night. It will be brighter than Jupiter!
Before Mars reaches opposition, the Earth passes directly between Saturn and the moon. This is a great time to view Saturn; it’s in the sky all night, and it is bright. Earthsky.com has a great piece detailing how to view the ringed planet. Check it out here.
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/viewing-saturns-rings-tips-for-beginners
There will be a pesky storm over the mid-Atlantic states, producing widespread clouds. A cold front will trigger thunderstorms in the Midwest through the Mississippi Valley. Most other locations should have a good shot at viewing Mars and the moon tonight!
Not too many things are free anymore; however, looking at the night sky is still one of those things. Thanks for reading! Just look up; you never know what you will see.
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