On 31 July 2018, the planet Mars will be closer to Earth than it has been in 15 years. Technically, it’s called opposition, and the distance will be 35.7 million miles (57.6 million kilometers.) Look south in the late evening, west of the constellation Sagittarius, to see the dazzling red planet. Even a small telescope will bring out some detail, polar cap, etc. And check with your local planetarium for a special observing event. This NASA doc has the details.
Check It Out: Get Ready For Planet Mars Close Approach on July 31
Watch out for the traditional, bogus email that says Mars will appear as big as the moon. Yes, but only through a very good telescope. It’ll still look like a very bright star with the naked eye.
True. You can also see its “redness” with the naked eye. And you don’t have to wait a week to do so. It’s all very visible (if your local sky is without cloud cover) tonight and every night for quite a while.