Martians and Mars explorers from 8-108 will enjoy this event.

No special equipment is needed for this session.

Mars is bright in the sky for the whole of this Autumn & Winter but tonight is special because it's the night when Earth and Mars are the closest they will be until December 2022.

The red planet has been the inspiration for many Sci Fi stories over the decades, H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" being probably the most famous.  It is also a planet populated entirely with Robots from Earth, (well - maybe there are Martians living there - microbes under the surface... who knows?)

Tonight, weather permitting, in addition to stargazing and taking in some of the wonders of the universe, we'll be looking closely at Mars and trying to make out the ice caps at the poles and volcanic dark patches on its surface.  In addition to looking at the red planet through our telescopes and binoculars we'll show you our Museum Quality Meteorite Collection - including an actual piece of Mars itself

If we have inclement weather, this evening will take the format of one of our popular and exciting "Astronomy for Absolute Beginners" evenings.

https://mars.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/night-sky/opposition/