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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