About every two years when Mars and Earth are on the same side of the solar system, the astronomical event stirs up a bit of fake news and woe for astronomers everywhere.Every 26 months Mars and Earth are on the same side of the Sun, which is known as Mars opposition, making the Red Planet closer to our home planet.
It’s a good opportunity to look at Mars with the naked eye or through a telescope and it’s also when NASA and other space agencies choose to launch spacecraft to the Red Planet because of the shortened travel time.What doesn’t happen during opposition, even if your Facebook friends say it does, is make Mars appear just as big as the moon in the night sky to the naked eye.