2025, January 15: Mars at Opposition

January 15, 2025: Mars is at opposition tonight when Earth passes between the planet and the sun. It is in the sky all night.

2007, December 1: Late winter in the northern hemisphere shows clouds above the northern polar cap and some above the southern cap.
Photo Caption – 2007, December 1: Late winter in the northern hemisphere shows clouds above the northern polar cap and some above the southern cap. (NASA Photo)

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:16 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 4:45 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Mars at Opposition

Mars, 2024-2025
Chart Caption – 2024-2025: Mars reaches opposition as it retrogrades in front of Gemini.

Mars is at opposition tonight.  Earth moves between the sun and the planet. They appear in opposite directions. Mars rises at sunset; appears in the south at midnight’ and sets in the west-northwest at sunrise. 

Mars’ appears as a reddish-orange star in the sky near Castor and Pollux, the Gemini Twins.

Mars before Sunrise

Mars at opposition
Chart Caption – 2025, January 15: The bright moon and Mars are in the western sky during morning twilight.

During morning twilight, the bright moon, 98% illuminated, is about 25° up in the west at one hour before sunrise.  Bright Mars is 15° above the west-northwest and nearly 18° to the moon’s lower right.  The Twins are to Mars’ right. Look carefully for Regulus, 16.0° to the lunar orb’s upper left.

Mars Part of Evening Planet Display

Mars at opposition
Chart Caption – 2025, January 15: An hour after sunset, brilliant Venus is near Saturn in the southwestern sky.

After sunset, Mars is part of a bright planet display that nearly spans the sky from the southwest to the east-northeast.

Begin with Venus in the southwest.  The Evening Star is approaching its greatest brightness during mid-February.  It easily outshines all the starlike bodies in the sky tonight and it can be seen shortly after sundown.  Near large airports, airplanes’ landing lights compete with the planet’s visual intensity.

At one hour after sunset, Saturn is 3.2° to Venus’ upper left.  The Ringed Wonder moves slowly eastward against the starry background compared to the brilliant planet.  Venus overtakes Saturn in three nights.

Mars at opposition
Chart Caption – 2025, January 15: After sundown, bright Jupiter is in the east-southeast.

Bright Jupiter is over halfway from the east-southeast horizon to overhead. It retrogrades in front of Taurus, 5.2° to Aldebaran’s upper left, the Bull’s brightest star.  The illusion of retrograde continues until early next month.

Mars at opposition
Chart Caption – 2025, January 15: At opposition, Mars in the east-northeast after nightfall.

Then find Mars, nearly 15° up in the east-northeast below the Twins.

Through a backyard telescope, Mars is unremarkable.  It appears as a red-orange globe. During Martian winters at either hemisphere, a polar cap is visible.  The planet is currently in spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn south of the equator.  Brighter and darker features are visible.

Mars’ Aphelic Opposition

Mars at opposition
Chart Caption – September 19, 2024-May 17, 2025: The orbits of Earth and Mars are displayed as opposition occurs January 15, 2025. As Earth overtakes Mars, the Red Planet appears to pass bright stars in Gemini and retrograde.

Mars is near its farthest opposition from Earth, nearly 60 million miles.  It nears aphelion, on April 16th, its farthest point from the sun.

When Earth passes Mars again on February 19th, 2027, it is 63 million miles away, less than two weeks before aphelion. These distant oppositions are known as aphelic oppositions.

This evening the four bright planets from Venus to Mars span over 132°. Step outside during the early evening to see this string of planets.  See bright Mars at opposition.

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