Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Watch the Mars

Sir, __ Since planet Mars has a highly eccentric elliptical orbit around the Sun, it comes close to us once in 15 years.

Since the Earth also does not have a perfectly circular orbit around the Sun, the closest of these close approaches happens when the Mars is at its perihelion (nearest to the Sun) and when the Earth happens to be at its aphelion (farthest from the Sun).

It is estimated that this rare occurrence happens once in every 73,000 years. In August, Mars will be at its closest, and I would like to alert your readers to start watching Mars right from tomorrow.

It will be high in the sky (in a south-east direction) just before dawn.

No one can mistake the bright red coloured object for a star.Till the end of June it will be approaching us at a rate of approximately one million kilometres per day.

K. Smiles Mascarenhas,

Coimbatore, T.N.

New Delhi

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