Community Corner
EVENT: See Mars at Closest Annual Approach to Earth at Custer Institute
The Red Planet will make its closest approach to Earth than it will be all year on Saturday, and the telescopes at Southold's Custer Institute Observatory are open to the public to view the celestial event.
This coming Saturday marks the "Mars Opposition" — the closest approach it will be to the Earth than it will be all year. The Red Planet will be shining bright in the constellation Leo, and in Southold will have powerful telescopes on hand that night for you to view this annual occurance.
According to NASA's website, opposition means Mars and the Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth. Mars will rise in the east at dusk and will set in the west and is at its highest around midnight. Our neighbor of the Solar System will remain close to Earth throughout March.
NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity, is currently traveling through space and is scheduled to land on Mars on Aug. 6.
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