Mars Puts on Dazzling Show for Amateur Astronomers (Photos)

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Four Images of Mars Seen in Canada
Astrophotographer Andrew Kwon sent in a composite image showing Mars on four different nights. He writes in an e-mail to Space.com: "These 4 were taken from March 27th to this morning April 6th. With opposition only coming every 26 months I am out every clear night imaging the red planet from my backyard observatory in Mississauga, ON." (Image credit: Andrew Kwon)

A cosmic alignment between Earth and Mars is giving stargazers eye-popping views of the Red Planet.

On April 8, Mars reached an orbital milestone known as "opposition," an event that occurs only once every 26 months when the planet aligns with Earth and the sun. Six days later, on April 14, Mars made its closest approach to Earth in six years, coming within 57.4 million miles (92 million kilometers) of our planet, making it a prime target for amateur astronomers.

Astrophotographer Andrew Kwon in Canada sent in a composite image showing Mars on four different nights. The bright rust coloration of Mars is known for is due to iron-rich minerals. [Spectacular Night Sky Photos for April 2014 (Stargazing Gallery)]

"These four were taken from March 27th to this morning April 6th," Kwon wrote in an email to Space.com. "With opposition only coming every 26 months I am out every clear night imaging the Red Planet from my backyard observatory in Mississauga, ON [Ontario]." 

Astrophotographer Daniel McVey sent a photo taken at Fremont Pass in Colorado which includes Mars, Spica, and bright constellation Corvus. Image submitted March 26, 2014. (Image credit: Photography by Daniel McVey)

Another image shows Mars and star Spica near each other in the night sky at Fremont Pass in Colorado. Astrophotographer Daniel McVey sent this photo submitted March 26.

Mars 12 inch Globe Buy Here (Image credit: Space.com Store)

Mars is easy to spot in the night sky now as it lies in opposition to the sun and relatively close to Earth. Spica, a blue-white giant, is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. In the image, the constellation Corvus, the Raven, a small constellation with 11 stars visible to the naked eye, can also be seen.

To see more amazing night sky photos submitted by Space.com readers, visit our astrophotography archive.

Editor's Note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Correction: This story was corrected on April 17 to reflect that the opposition of Mars occurs once every 26 months. 

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Nina Sen
Contributing Writer and Producer

Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.