yeah, i was gonna say too i thought this happened a couple years ago...but still mars is an awesome sight right now (and always for that matter), coming up just after midnight out here and well worth having the 10" meade waiting! sky charts are available at sky&telescope and astronomy dot coms too...excellent reference for wherever you sit on this planet!
del... Reviewed by del... on . mars..... Just a note ..... The Red Planet is about to be spectacular! This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years, Rating: 5