The Celestial Phenomenon Happening Over Earth That You Can See From Illinois At Night

Whether or not you're an astrologer, you may have heard about Mars opposition in the news lately. This rare event is notable because it makes the brightest spot in the sky (other than the moon) a planet rather than a star, and this article will explain why.

In context of it all, man really knows very little about space, but we do know some things about our own solar system. Check it out:

Taking place right now is an astrological event you can see in the night sky with or without a telescope. Known as Mars opposition, this rare occurrence makes the planet Mars the brightest dot in our night sky.

Mars opposition is when the Sun, Earth, and Mars line up. It takes place every couple of years, but there is an added element this time. The red planet will be closer to both the Sun and the Earth than normal, meaning it will be bigger and brighter than it has been in 15 years.

When the planets align, Mars becomes bright because Earth will be sandwiched in between. The sun will shine on Mars and Earth, and those facing the red planet will see it reflecting the Sun's light.

This exact alignment takes place July 31, 2018, though the glowing effects have been visible for days now. On that exact day, Mars will be 35.8 million miles from Earth.

In 2003, an even more impressive aligment happened when Mars was about a million miles closer and that much more brighter. The planets won't be that close again until 2287.

The reason for these odd alignments has to do with the shape of each planet's orbit around the sun. Like Earth, Mars orbits the sun in an oval, so the odds of them lining up are very rare.

Mars won't be this bright in our skies again until 2033, so make sure to get out there tonight and see if you can spot our neighbor planet.

Next time you're dreaming about actually being on Mars, check out these nine places in Illinois that will definitely make you feel like you're on another planet.

Have you seen Mars lightning up our night sky? Share your photos with us below in the comments.