A community event for you, our guests, provides a rare chance to see Mars as you may never have seen it.

This event, on July 28, hosted by Mojave Elks Lodge #2059, includes a night of fun and excitement! Starting off the evening with a potluck and concluding with one of our members, Ted Hodgkinson, an avid astronomer, sharing his telescopes to help you see this awesome planet in our solar system.

Bring the family, enjoy the potluck, meet some of our members, and stay for the Mars display after 9 pm.  You'll see more people in your community and maybe make a new friend or two.

It starts at 4 pm at the lodge on "K" Street, in Mojave.

 

At present, both Saturn and Mars shine more brilliantly than a 1st-magnitude star. However, Mars is brighter than Saturn. Saturn’s brilliance peaked at its June 27 opposition, and Mars’ brilliance will increase until it peaks at its July 27 opposition.

But Saturn’s brightness increase has been rather subtle, while Mars’ will prove to be more dramatic! At the beginning of July, Mars shines about eight times brighter than Saturn, whereas by the month’s end, Mars exceeds the brilliance of the ringed planet by some 15 times.

It’s not often that Mars outshines Jupiter, normally the fourth-brightest celestial object to light up the sky, after the sun, moon and Venus. But, for a couple of months in 2018, Mars will outshine Jupiter from about July 7 to September 7, 2018.

Remember Mars’ historically close opposition of August 28, 2003? That year, it was closer and brighter than it had been in some 60,000 years. This upcoming July opposition will be the best since 2003.

Read more: Mars brighter in 2018 than since 2003