You can see Mars near the bright star Aldebaran, the eye of the Taurus bull, on Tuesday night (September 6).
Aldebaran is the brightest star in Taurus constellation. It will appear closest to Mars late Tuesday through Wednesday morning (Sept. 7). The pair will be visible high in the south before sunrise, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory September viewing guide.
During September, Mars rises about three and a half hours after sunset and is near the meridian at dawn. Although the Red Planet is closest to orange Aldebaran at the start of the month, it will soon begin moving east towards another bright star called Betelgeuse.
On the topic: The night sky, September 2022: What to see tonight [maps]
Aldebaran is a red giant star about 44 times its size our sun and is about 65 light years away. Its brightness ranges from 0.75 to 0.95, making it visible to the naked eye. Aldebaran It is believed to contain at least one exoplanet several times larger than Jupiter. As Mars moves away from Aldebaran toward Betelgeuse, the trio forms a “red triangle” in the morning sky.
“Then the Red Planet appears to hit the brakes and halt its eastward motion to hang out in this triangle for the next month or so,” NASA wrote in its September viewing guide.
Betelgeuse is also a red supergiant and one of the largest stars visible to the naked eye. It is usually the tenth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the night sky the constellation of Orion with a magnitude of 0.58.
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You can check our guides on the best binoculars and the best telescopes spot Mars and the bright stars Aldebaran and Betelgeuse. If you’re hoping to get a good photo of the Red Planet, check out our tips for finding the best one cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s note: If you’ve taken a photo of Mars near Aldebaran and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
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