Today:
Mars reaches opposition tonight, rising at sunset, and setting at sunrise, for an “all-nighter” across the heavens. We are making our closest passage to Mars since December of 2022, though Mars’s very elliptical orbit changes this distance considerably. As a result, Mars will not this bright again until 2031.
Thursday:
While Mars remains a celestial show-piece in the eastern skies, a little later this evening we’ll see another pairing that’s worthy of mention. Once Mars is nearly halfway up, due east at 8 o’clock, watching the rising waning Gibbous Moon climb into the skies, accompanied to its upper right by the star Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, the Lion, just beginning his annual prowl across the heavens.
Friday:
The Twins have temporarily become triplets in the eastern skies. The Twins refer to the “twin” stars of Castor and Pollux, representing the mythical twin brothers known as the constellation Gemini. To their lower right shines Mars, in line with them tonight, but changing as Mars continues to their right, beforing pausing near February 20th, then moving back for another alignment on April 10th.