PLANET Mars is known as the red planet because of its reddish color. However, when observed from Earth, the brightness is not always the same. There are times when Mars appears very bright, while at other times it looks dim and less striking. This change is not coincidental, but is influenced by several astronomical factors.
According to information reported on the page EarthSkythe difference between Mars’ brightness and dimness is mainly related to its distance from Earth, orbital position, and the size of the planet itself.
One of the main reasons why Mars’ brightness changes so easily is because of its relatively small size. The diameter of Mars is only about 6,790 kilometers, or a little more than half the size of Earth.
For comparison, Jupiter has a diameter of about 140,000 kilometers. In fact, more than 20 planets the size of Mars could line up in front of Jupiter. Because of its large size, Jupiter almost always appears bright from Earth. Meanwhile, small Mars does not have this visual advantage, so its brightness level depends very much on its distance from Earth.
Mars and Earth orbit the Sun at different speeds and trajectories. As a result, the distance between these two planets is always changing.
When Earth is closer to Mars, the red planet appears much brighter. On the other hand, when Mars is on the opposite side of the Sun or far from Earth, its light looks dimmer. This is the reason why Mars can appear very striking at certain periods, but hardly attract attention at other times.
The moment when Mars is brightest is called opposition. At this time, Earth is directly between the Sun and Mars, so the distance between the two planets is relatively close. Mars experiences opposition approximately every 26 months or approximately once every two years.
The next opposition will occur on February 19, 2027. However, the brightness of Mars at the 2027 opposition will not be as bright as the 2025 opposition, because at that time Mars will be further from the Sun and Earth than at the previous opposition.
In 2026, Mars will appear again in the morning sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, Mars will begin to be visible from the end of February 2026, while in the Northern Hemisphere around April or May 2026.
At the start of its appearance, Mars will appear dim and low in the eastern sky before dawn. However, as time goes by and Earth gets closer to Mars, its brightness will increase.
Towards the end of 2026, Mars will move into the night sky and appear brighter. One interesting moment occurred around November 15, 2026, when Mars passed close to the planet Jupiter.
Sumber: Earth Sky.
