Mars will appear bigger and brighter in the night sky this week, as the red planet lines up on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun.
The process, known as "opposition", happens roughly every two years.
The planet is already visible but will be seen best in the UK at about 1am on Wednesday, according to the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
“It’s a really good chance to view it – the last time this happened was 2018 but it was quite difficult for a lot of people to see because it was quite down in the horizon,” Hannah Banyard, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the PA news agency.
“For about a month or so now, it’s been quite easy to see, as it’s getting close to opposition it’s rising earlier, so it rises from sunset and then you can see it and it gets up quite high into the sky, so it’s really easy to spot.”
Opposition happens around every 26 months. It is next set to occur in 2023.
Although cloudy weather is forecast for parts of the UK, Mars should be visible among any breaks and even through lighter cloud, Ms Banyard said.
“You can see it as a bright orangey-red looking star just with your eyes, but I recommend using at least a four-inch telescope with 24-millimetre magnification and then you’ll be able to make out some features on the surface,” she said.
“The next time you will be able to see Mars as big and bright will be 2023.”
