Doha: The Qatar Calendar House said that the red planet (Mars) will appear brighter and larger than normal days from Tuesday evening till Wednesday dawn.
This happens because Mars will reach the nearest point on Earth during the early hours of Wednesday, Safar 27, 1442 AH, corresponding to Oct. 14, 2020, at 2:18 am Doha local time, as it will be in the position of encounter with the sun on a phenomenon known astronomically as the phenomenon of Mars and the Sun's opposition.
The phenomenon of Mars opposition with the sun is an important astronomical phenomenon because it is considered a good opportunity to observe and see Mars planet from the surface of the earth with the naked eye or with astronomical devices for the longest period during the year, as it will be visible almost all night, because its rise and set times will be approximately the same times as sunrise and sunset, QCH astronomy expert Dr. Beshir Marzouk said.
During this phenomenon, Mars will be at the farthest point from the sun and will be approximately at a distance of 211.5 million km from the center of the sun, while it will be at the closest point from the earth at a distance of 62.3 million km from the center of the earth, Marzouk added.