A Martian Halloween
Credit & Copyright:
Wally Pacholka (Astropics.com)
From sunset to sunrise, an unusually bright yellowish
orb will hang in the sky this Halloween: Mars.
Yesterday,
Earth passed Mars
as they orbited the Sun, bringing
Mars
closer than it will be for the next thirteen years.
Tonight though, Mars will be nearly as bright as last night,
a beacon of
extraterrestrial spookiness.
Opposite the Sun, Mars will rise just
when the Sun sets, set just when the Sun rises, and be visible
the entire night.
Mars will not always be the
brightest object in tonight's sky, though.
Brighter than even Mars, almost spooky
Venus will light up the western horizon for a brief time just after sunset.
Please have a safe and happy
All Hallows Eve.