Because the orbits of both Mars and Earth are not exact circles, the distance between the two varies from one opposition to another. You may recall all the excitement in 2003 when Earth approached Mars on August 27 closer than it will for the next 60,000 years. It was a little less than 35 million miles away! This year Earth will be closest to Mars on March 5 at just under 63 million miles. Two days earlier is the actual date of opposition when we pass the red planet. While it might seem logical that we would be closest to a planet as we passed it, there is a slight difference due to the non-circular shapes of the orbits of both Mars and Earth. When a planet is opposite the Sun in the sky, i.e., in opposition, it rises about sunset and sets about sunrise and is very favorably placed for observing. Mars is already obvious in the evening sky. Rising about 8:30 p.m. EST, it can be observed as a bright red “star” just to the south of Denebola, the tail star of Leo the lion. With a moderate size telescope, one can begin to detect some of the surface features such as dark areas or bright polar caps. Mars is the only planet on which we can observe surface features from Earth. Mercury is too close to the Sun while Venus and the gas giant planets are all surrounded by gaseous atmospheres. So, put on warm clothes and go out to observe this most fascinating of the planets. PARI is a not-for-profit public foundation established in 1998. Located in the Pisgah National Forest southwest of Asheville, NC, PARI offers educational programs at all levels, from K-12 through post-graduate research. For more information about PARI and its programs, visit www.pari.edu. Follow PARI on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Astronomy_PARI. “Like” PARI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Pisgah.Astronomical.Research.Institute.