Mars is the brightest it has been in a decade: Here's how to see it this weekend
The planet Mars is closer than it has been since November 2005, so get ready for some serious skywatching this weekend.
The red planet's close proximity to Earth now makes it brighter than it usually is in orbit, giving even amateur skywatchers a great chance to see details of the Martian surface using a low-powered telescope.
But even if you don't have a telescope, you can still spot Mars in skies around the world.
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"Just look southeast after the end of twilight, and you can't miss it," Alan MacRobert, senior editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, said in a statement.
If you do head outside to take a look at Mars, you'll be in good company.
The Hubble Space Telescope also took advantage of Mars' close proximity to Earth, taking a new photo of the red planet in all its frosty, cloud-covered glory.
Mars will also be joined in the sky by a couple of other cosmic objects that might point the way toward the red planet.
The planet Saturn and the red star Antares create a triangle in the night sky with Mars, and the full moon will also rise near them this weekend.
"Look below Mars by about the width of your fist at arm's length," MacRobert added. "If Antares is still too low, wait a while and everything will rise higher. Antares is fainter but it also has a fiery color."
Saturn will be to the left of Antares, completing the triangle.
If you have cloudy weather or are unable to do some skywatching this weekend, you have until mid-June to see Mars at its brightest. The red planet will remain within about 48 million miles from Earth until June 12.
Mars will be at its absolute closest on May 30, when it is about 47.2 million miles from Earth, according to Sky & Telescope, but its brightness won't change much between now and then.
While you're outside looking for Mars, you might also keep an eye out for the International Space Station whizzing by overhead.
The Space Station -- which looks like a bright, unblinking star streaking across the sky -- completes a full orbit of Earth every 90 minutes but it doesn't always go over the same place.
You can use a new tool from NASA (embedded below) to find out the next time the station will make a pass over your city.
In 2018, Mars will actually be even closer to Earth. Its orbit will bring it about 34.6 million miles from our planet, providing another great observing opportunity for space observatories and people on the planet.
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Miriam Kramer worked as a staff writer for Space.com for about 2.5 years before joining Mashable to cover all things outer space. She took a ride in weightlessness on a zero-gravity flight and watched rockets launch to space from places around the United States. Miriam received her Master's degree in science, health and environmental reporting from New York University in 2012, and she originally hails from Knoxville, Tennessee. Follow Miriam on Twitter at @mirikramer.
