Spark image

Path of Mars - autumn 2005

In the autumn of 2005 Mars approached closer to the Earth than it will for over ten years. The map below shows the retrograde motion of the planet during November and December 2005. The point of closest approach was on October 30th – a distance of 69.42 million km away.
(its angular diameter when seen from the Earth was just under 20" of arc).

NB - the point of closest approach is not the same as the point where Mars appears to move backwards in the sky.


 

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© Keith Gibbs 2020