On Tuesday morning, May 31st. Mars and the fat crescent Moon are going to have a pleasing close encounter in the dawn sky. Look for them rising in the east around 4:30 AM Earth is racing toward Mars at a speed of 23,500 mph, which means the red planet is getting bigger and brighter. Mars is already eye-catching, shining almost twice as bright as a 1st-magnitude star.
Every two years, approximately, Earth passes Mars. Earth is approaching Mars at a relative speed of 23,500 mph, and will pass Mars on October 31st at 0319 UT, at a distance of 69 million km. When the two planets are closest together, Mars will outshine everything in the night sky except the Moon.
