So, the other day, I was checking out this whole “Mars Opposite Sun” thing. I got into it because, well, I heard that on January 15th, Mars would be in this position called “opposition.” It’s when Mars is like, directly across from the Sun from where we’re standing on Earth. Sounds cool, right?
I started by reading up a bit. I learned that this opposition thing means Mars rises when the Sun sets, it’s highest in the sky at midnight, and then it sets when the Sun rises. So basically, whenever you look up, Mars is somewhere up there.
Then, I dug a little deeper. It turns out this Mars opposition happens when Earth goes right between Mars and the Sun. I found out that during this time, Mars is supposed to be super bright and big in the sky because it’s closer to Earth. The last time this happened was on December 8, 2022, and the next ones are on January 16, 2025, February 19, 2027, and then March 25, 2029. I mean I marked those dates down!
I also stumbled upon something about a “Retrograde Mars.” Apparently, when that happens, you gotta be extra careful with knives, sharp stuff, and even when driving or biking. I guess it’s like an accident-prone time or something? I’m not sure, I just jotted that down in my notes because it seems like it is important.
So, I decided to see this for myself. I waited until January 15th, and when the sunset, I went outside and looked up. I tried to spot Mars, but honestly, I’m not great at this stargazing stuff. I think I saw it, but I’m not 100% sure. It was a bit cloudy, so that didn’t help.
But then, I remembered reading that it’s visible all night. So, I set my alarm for midnight, bundled up because it was cold, and went out again. This time, it was clearer, and I’m pretty sure I spotted Mars. It was this reddish dot, brighter than before. It wasn’t huge or anything, but it was definitely there.
I stayed out for a while, just looking up. It was kind of awesome to think about how Earth was right between Mars and the Sun at that moment. I even tried to take some pictures with my phone, but they just looked like blurry dots. Oh well.
- Waited for the right date, January 15th.
- Attempted to see Mars at sunset.
- Checked again at midnight when it was clearer.
- Observed a bright, reddish dot that I’m pretty sure was Mars.
- Took some not-so-great photos.
So, that was my little adventure with the Mars opposition. I ended up feeling pretty small in the grand scheme of things, but it was a cool experience. I mean, how often do you get to witness something like that? I’m thinking I’ll try again when it happens in 2025. Maybe I’ll get better at this by then.
