Take a photo! Tonight, Mars and the Moon will be in the same frame!

Recently, the brightness of Mars has been increasing, making it more and more suitable for observation. According to astronomical science experts, on the evening of November 20, Mars will "encounter" the moon in the constellation Cancer. If the weather is fine, interested members of the public can watch this "dialogue between the stars and the moon" in the southeast sky with the naked eye or a small telescope.

A close-up of Mars taken in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province on October 31, 2024. (Photo by Han Ling)

01 At this time, Mars is in its 38th New Year

Mars is the closest extraterrestrial planet to the Earth. It is red in color and was called "Yinghuo" by the ancient Chinese. Mars is very similar to the Earth and also has four seasons.

Mars just opened its 38th New Year on November 12 this year. On this day, Mars reached its vernal equinox. The Martian calendar began in 1955 on Earth, and the next New Year on Mars will be September 30, 2026.

On July 28, 2018, the total lunar eclipse and Mars appeared in the same frame. This is the lunar eclipse "necklace" and the Mars "necklace" taken at Jiulianzhou Ecological Wetland Park in Suining City, Sichuan Province that night (multiple photos superimposed). (Photo by Jiang Tao)

02 The Moon is getting close to Mars

As November begins, Mars rises in the first half of the night and becomes brighter day by day. The moon will "meet" it during its monthly routine "sky survey", with Mars accompanying the moon. Specifically, on the evening of the 20th, Mars will be not far below the moon, with a brightness of -0.3 magnitude; in the second half of the night, the moon will get closer to Mars.

Taking Beijing as an example, the moon rose above the horizon first at around 20:48 on the 20th, and Mars rose at around 21:30, but at a relatively low altitude. Interested members of the public can wait until after 23:00 to observe, when the altitudes of the two will be ideal. Although the moon is very bright, Mars is not bad either, and it is still relatively easy to see it with the naked eye. The combination of the stars and the moon is a unique view. If the public has the conditions, the effect will be better if they use binoculars or small astronomical telescopes for observation.

Mars and the moon, photographed in Lijiang City, Yunnan Province on December 8, 2022. In the picture, the moon is covered by thin clouds, as if it is covered with "colorful clouds". (Image source: Xinhua News Agency video screenshot)

This Mars-Moon observation is very suitable for the general public, especially for beginners of astronomy, as it is a good practice opportunity. The public who are interested can also take this opportunity to learn more about this red planet.

03 Mars Exploration: The Dream of Humankind’s “Second Home”

Mars is the planet most similar to Earth in the solar system, and humans have never stopped exploring Mars. In recent years, my country's Mars exploration project has achieved fruitful results.

On July 23, 2020, my country's first Mars exploration mission, the Tianwen-1 probe, set off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in China. With the ignition and launch of the Long March 5 Yao-4 rocket, my country has kicked off its exploration of deeper space. my country will achieve the three major tasks of "orbiting, landing, and patrolling" through a single launch, which is the first time in the world's space history.

At 12:41 on July 23, 2020, my country launched the Tianwen-1 probe, my country's first Mars exploration mission, at the Wenchang Space Launch Center on the northeast coast of Hainan Island using a Long March 5 Yao-4 carrier rocket. After flying for more than 2,000 seconds, the probe was successfully sent into the predetermined orbit, starting the Mars exploration journey and taking the first step in my country's independent planetary exploration. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Cai Yang

On May 15, 2021, China's first Mars exploration mission, the Tianwen-1 probe, successfully landed on Mars, leaving China's first imprint on Mars. For more than a year, from launch, orbiting to landing and patrolling, every move of Tianwen-1 has attracted worldwide attention. As of 2022, the Zhurong Mars rover has been driving in the Utopia Plains area in the northern lowlands of Mars for more than a year, with a total driving distance of nearly 2,000 meters, and has obtained a large amount of valuable scientific exploration data.

Mars is the planet that has been explored the longest, most times, and by the most countries. With the continuous advancement of aerospace technology and the deepening of international cooperation, humans are expected to uncover the many mysteries of Mars in the near future and even transform it into a "second home" for humans.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhua News Agency Domestic Department, Xinhua News Agency Tianjin Branch, People's Daily Online, etc.