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Credit: Wally Pacholka (Astropics)
Explanation:
Yesterday, at about 10 am
Universal Time,
Mars and
Earth passed
closer than in nearly 60,000 years.
Mars,
noticeably red, remains the brightest object in the
eastern sky just after sunset.
The best views of Mars, however,
will continue to be from the
robot spacecraft currently orbiting Mars: the
Mars Global Surveyor and the
Mars Odyssey.
The current pass sparked the
launching of
four
new
spacecraft
toward Mars, some of which will deploy landers early
next year and likely return even more
spectacular views
of our planetary neighbor.
Pictured above,
Mars was photographed rising in the southeast behind Elephant Rock in the
Valley of Fire State Park,
Nevada,
USA.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mars
Publications with words: Mars
See also: