Oppositions between Earth and Mars happen about every 26 months because the planets are relatively close to one another. NASA and other agencies often take advantage of these close approaches to send spacecraft that way. A recent example is NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution probe (MAVEN), which launched in November 2013 and will arrive this September. India’s first Mars orbiter will also arrive at the Red Planet in September after its own launch last year.
The opposition of Mars comes just seven days ahead of the planet’s closest approach to Earth on the night of April 14. The Red Planet and Earth are converging ever closer to their cosmic encounter at a rate of about 186 miles (300 kilometers) a minute, according to a NASA skywatching advisory.
On April 14, Mars and Earth will be only 57 million miles (92 million kilometers) apart. This is a bit more than half the distance between Earth and the sun, which is about 93 million miles (150 million km).
By coincidence, Mars’ closest approach to Earth occurs on the same night as a total lunar eclipse.
Click here to read the full space.com article by Elizabeth Howell
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