Mars will be at its closest point to the Earth in 11 years on May 30th. The red planet will be 76 million kilometers (47.2 million miles) away from Earth. This phenomenon will begin at 2:35 PM Pacific Time.

The day will also mark the occurrence of Mars opposition, which means that the Sun and Mars will occupy opposite sides of earth and will line up perfectly.

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The event is important as it does not require any special equipment. You can see the bigger-than-normal Mars with naked eyes. The record for closest encounter between Mars and the Earth occurred in 2003 when Mars was only 55.6 million kilometers away from Earth.

Such close encounters occur every 26 months, providing attractive opportunities for Mars expeditions. Various expeditions to Mars have taken advantage of this to launch when the red planet is in proximity.

According to Earthsky.com, Mars will look as bright as Jupiter when it is close to the Earth. This is especially a special treat for astronomers.

Space.com provided the best timings for this viewing. "This Monday evening (May 30) at 5:35 p.m. EDT (2135 GMT), Mars will be the closest it has been to Earth since October 5, 2005. After 5:35 p.m. EDT on that date, Mars will begin to recede from Earth," the publication stated.

The next best opportunity to watch Mars will be on July 27, 2018, when the red planet will be merely 57.6 million kilometers (35.8 million miles) away from the Earth.

TagsMars, Earth