The Earth will pass between the sun and the planet Mars today (Mars opposition), an event that occurs about every twenty-six months. On March 5 (Monday), Mars and the Earth will be at their closest, so this week is a good time to view the Red Planet with the naked eye (is this why the movie John Carter of Mars is opening this week?).

Mars will be visible as a bright orange-red dot in the eastern sky just after sunset; it can be identified as the only celestial object that doesn’t flicker. Mars will slowly rise until it reaches its zenith in the southern sky at about midnight (PST).

If you have a telescope, you should be able to view Mar’s surface features.

The Slooh Space Camera will provide a live-feed of the Mars opposition tonight, beginning at eight o’clock PST.

[Image from the Hubble Space Telescope, found here]