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The last time that Mars was nearest to Earth was in October 5, 2005 where the “Red Planet” was about 0.50321377 astronomical units (AU), or 46,762,695 miles (75,279,709 kilometers) but it looks like those records will be appended soon with belief that Mars may be at its closest on May 30.

Save a seat this Monday

Space.com reports that Mars reached opposition with the sun meaning both along with the earth were arrayed in a straight line marking another rare occurrence. The report adds however that this Monday at about 5:35 p.m. EDT, Mars will be at its closest since 12 years ago.

For those who are unaware of this angle of science, opposition and closest Earth approach happen on different days. This is largely because of the orbit of Mars which is elliptical.

How did this come about?

This sheds more light on the opposition earlier mentioned, explaining how Mars was still approaching Earth via its orbital track. The Red Planet will not reach its actual minimal distance until May 30 as it recedes to earth.

With that explained, is there a chance for people to see the red planet which is expected to be bigger by the end of the month?

The rare opportunity which people are likely want to see has been made possible with the aid of Slooh, an observatory community. They will apparently host a live stream event starting at 9 p.m. ET and all folks will have to do is head on over to their site.

Slooh will bank on its newest telescope called the Solar System telescope which is housed over at the Canada Island Observatory. Aside from catching a first-hand glimpse, people who log on to their site can be educated as well as astronomers weigh in on some facts tied up with Mars.

“The size of Mars varies more than any other planet, and we’ve waited a full decade for it to come this close and appear this large,” said Slooh astronomer Bob Berman. “Throw in the fact that it’s the only other planet on which humans will ever walk and you can understand why everyone will be turning in to this rare occasion.”

The close approach of Mars happens every 26 months and the zig-zagging motion is expected to ease up after Monday as it resumes it normal eastward trajectory by June 30.