Current Lunar Phase As amateur astronomers, we enjoy observing the wonders of the night sky and sharing that experience with others. Join us as we observe celestial objects through the 16-inch telescope atop Campbell Hall. Travel with us to dark-sky sites to see the night sky away from the glare of city lights. See the sun and track sunspots from Sproul Plaza. Click one of the Skywatching Events on the left to learn more. Mars Opposition 2003: On August 27, 2003, at 2:51 AM PDT, Mars will be closer to Earth than at any time in recorded history. We will be holding an observing session where you can view the Red Planet through a telescope. Check the Announcements section for more details. What is an Opposition? A celestial object is at Opposition when the sun is on one side of the Earth and the object is on the opposite side. Objects at opposition are completely illuminated and they are visible all night long. The full moon is an example of this. Planets are always best viewed at opposition, because they are closest to Earth at this time. Imagine two runners on a track, where Earth is the faster runner on the inside track, and Mars is a slower runner on an outer track. As the faster inside runner passes the slower outer one, they are closest to each other. Why are some oppositions better than others? Because while Earth's orbit is nearly circular, Mars' orbit is very elliptical. Thus the distance between Earth and Mars varies from opposition to opposition. At the least favorable opposition, Mars can be over twice the distance from Earth than at the most favorable opposition. Why is this one so special? When Mars' orbit is closest to the Sun (a point called perihelion), Mars' orbit is also closest to Earth's orbit. The 2003 opposition is special because it occurs within three days of Mars' perihelion. This means that the distance between Earth and Mars will be very nearly as small as possible. Mars will thus appear larger and brighter than at any point in human history, and will not come closer until the year 2287. This is the best view of Mars that you will have in your lifetime. Click here for links to a multitude of useful astronomy resources on the web.                           Since 11/6/2002