Get your telescopes ready — tonight’s sky is expected to be a bright one.
Mars will be the brightest it’s been in two years as it undergoes what’s called Mars opposition, an orbital placement that puts the Earth directly between the sun and the Red Planet.
As a result, Mars will be brightly illuminated by the sun’s rays, making it the brightest object in the Earth’s sky, just behind the sun and moon.
It’s a phenomenon that happens once every two years (or 26 months), about the time the Red Planet takes to completely orbit the sun.
On Sunday, NASA estimates that Mars will be 47.4 million miles away from the Earth.