Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Mars at Closest Approach

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 9, 2016 is “Mars at Closest Approach,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech. The original explanation runs about 178 words.

Mars at Closest Approach
Credit: Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“When does Mars appear the largest? This occurs when Earth sweeps past Mars in their respective orbits around the Sun, creating a momentary Sun-Earth-Mars alignment called opposition .”

— APOD editors, August 9, 2016

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
August 9, 2016
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 178 words

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Topics in this entry

The SunMars

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: August 9 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.