Mars is becoming an amazing night-sky sight as it approaches opposition. Find out how to make the most of the Red Planet. A planet is in opposition when Earth lies directly between that planet and the Sun. Opposition is a big deal for Mars because it’s a long way from Earth for most of the time, looking dim to the naked eye and small when viewed through a telescope. But, as the distance between our worlds shrinks, Mars brightens considerably while expanding in size through the eyepiece of a scope becoming large enough for some surface details to be seen. Come out to Hawthorn Hollow Schoolyard Observatory and observe Mars through our 16-inch telescope and learn interesting and important facts about Mars, the other planets, stars, and the night sky.