¿ Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2020 October 6 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Mars Approach 2020 Image Credit: [3]Jonathan T. Grayson Explanation: Look to the east just after sunset tonight and you'll see a most impressive Mars. Tonight, [4]Mars will appear its biggest and brightest of the year, as Earth passes closer to the [5]red planet than it has in over two years -- and will be again for another two years. In a week, [6]Mars will be almost as bright -- but at [7]opposition, meaning that it will be directly opposite the Sun. Due to the slightly oval shape of the orbits of [8]Mars and Earth, [9]closest approach and opposition occur on slightly different days. The [10]featured image sequence shows how the angular size of [11]Mars has grown during its approach over the past few months. [12]Noticeably orange, [13]Mars is now visible nearly all night long, reflecting more sunlight toward [14]Earth than either [15]Saturn or [16]Jupiter. Even at its closest and largest, though, [17]Mars will still appear over [18]100 times smaller, in diameter, than a [19]full moon. Tomorrow's picture: flying bat squid __________________________________________________________________ [20]< | [21]Archive | [22]Submissions | [23]Index | [24]Search | [25]Calendar | [26]RSS | [27]Education | [28]About APOD | [29]Discuss | [30]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell ([34]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [35]Specific rights apply. [36]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC & [40]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2010/MarsApproach2_Grayson_3204.jpg 3. https://www.instagram.com/nightskyflying/ 4. https://mars.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/facts/ 5. https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/how-to-observe-mars/ 6. https://mars.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/night-sky/close-approach/ 7. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/12972/ringside-seats-for-saturn/ 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200802.html 9. https://mars.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/night-sky/close-approach/ 10. https://www.instagram.com/p/CFmgOannRTg/ 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201001.html 12. https://amyhenrybooks.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/kitten-fluffy_orange_kitten.jpg 13. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars/overview/ 14. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/earth/overview/ 15. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/saturn/overview/ 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190908.html 17. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/double-moon-on-august-27 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200911.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160201.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201005.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 29. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=201006 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201007.html 31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 38. https://www.nasa.gov/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 40. http://www.mtu.edu/