Earth will have Mars on one side and the Sun on the other on July 31, 2018
Highlights
Mars distance to Earth will be 57.6 million km on July 31
It will be easily visible from many parts of the world, including India
Griffith Observatory is hosting a live stream of Mars passing Earth
Mars will be closest to the Earth in a decade and a half today, on the night of July 31, 2018. The Earth will have the Red Planet and the Sun on either side, with the three celestial bodies in a straight line. Though the two planets will be at closest distances to each other, they will still be 57.6 million km apart. This will be the closest distance between Mars and Earth till October 2020, but the Red Planetโs visibility as good as today's only every 15-17 years. Those who were watching the lunar eclipse on July 27 must have noticed Mars in the sky too, as the planet was easily visible a few degrees below our natural satellite. We should be able to see Mars till September but it will appear smaller each passing day as it leaves the orbit closer to the Earth.
Mars closest to Earth in 15 years
Though Mars is closest to the Earth in 15 years is a phenomenon for our generation, it is nowhere as big a deal as it was in 2003. Back then, Mars and Earth were โjustโ 56 million km apart - a feat phenomenon that had not occurred in 60,000 years and will not happen again till the year 2287, as per NASA estimates.
On July 31 2018, Mars will be closest to Earth since 2003 - 'just' 57.6 million km away
So why does this happen?
Like all other planets, Earth and Mars have elliptical orbits, meaning oval in shape. The perihelic opposition happens when Mars is at the nearest point to the Sun in its orbit, which happened on July 27 in 2018 - the night of the lunar eclipse. At that time, the gap between the two planets was greater than it will be tomorrow. But it must be noted that Mars closest to the Earth does not mean it will be at its brightest too. In fact, the planet's best visibility is estimated to be from July 27 to July 30, meaning you still have tonight to experience a sight you wont get for at least another 15 years.
Mars will be closest to Earth on July 31, 2018 after crossing the nearest point in its orbit to the Sun