Hyderabad: Skywatchers across Hyderabad are in for a treat as Mars will be visible to the naked eye in a rare celestial configuration.
The planet was at its closest to Earth on December 8 at 11:12 am after nearly 26 months. According to Raghunandan Kumar, the founder secretary and director at the Planetary Society of India, Mars can be spotted in the sky as a big bright red spot at least till January 2023.
“The planet is brighter than most stars, rising in the east before sunset and sticking around in the sky throughout the night. Those who look from a telescope can see it bright and big,” he added.
The last time opposition of mars occurred was on October 12, 2020, and the next time Mars will be in opposition to earth is on January 16, 2025. Planetary Society of India says that the present closest to mars is the best in the next nine years, i.e., till 2031.