Fact Sheet
Magnificent Mars
The planet Mars is putting on a great show in late December as it passes closest to Earth for several years. To the unaided eye, the planet looks like a dazzling orange star. It rises around sunset and climbs high overhead during the night. It rises well to the left of Orion, and lines up with the constellation's two brightest stars, Betelgeuse (which also looks orange) and Rigel. This 2001 Hubble Space Telescope image provides a closeup view of the planet. [NASA]
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