Brilliant Mars

Mars stages its most brilliant showing in 15 years during late July and early August. The planet is at opposition, so it aligns opposite the Sun in Earth's sky. It is closest to Earth at opposition, and is especially close during this year's encounter, so it shines especially bright. It will outshine everything else in the night sky except the Moon and Venus, the "evening star." This picture, snapped July 15 at Lone Rock in Skull Valley, Utah, shows Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter, along with the asteroid Vesta. It shows the configuration around midnight local time for the week of July 23. [NASA/Bill Dunford]