Mars in Opposition
This is a excerpt from CBSNEWS.com written by Sophie Lewis.
Earth makes two trips around the sun in about the same amount of time that it takes Mars to make one trip. This means that, occasionally, the two planets are on exact opposite sides of the sun — a phenomenon called opposition that occurs about every two years.
Mars’ close approach this year coincides with opposition, an especially rare occurrence. From humans’ perspectives on Earth, the red planet is rising in the east just as the sun is setting in the west, with the exact reverse occurring each morning. When Mars is in opposition, the red planet and Earth are closest to each other in their orbits. Mars is at its brightest during this time, making it easy to spot in the night sky with the naked eye.
This year, it is reaching opposition at around 7 p.m. EDT on October 13, according to EarthSky. With Mars being so close, several nations are currently sending spacecraft to the planet, including NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. The Perseverance rover is scheduled to land on the red planet in February 2021.
Written by Sophie Lewis from CBSNEWS.com
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Albert Vara
“this means that, occasionally, the two planets are on exact opposite sides of the sun —”
They are actually on the same side with earth between the sun and Mars
This makes no sense