Mars will appear three times bigger in the night sky as the red planet orbits closer to Earth than it has for the last 15 years

(The Daily Mail) Stargazers will be treated to a much clearer view of the red planet tonight, as Mars will appear bigger and brighter in the night sky than it has for the last 15 years.

Throughout the month of July, the orbits of Mars and Earth have been steadily aligning in a rare phenomenon known as ‘perihelic opposition’, which occurs when Mars, Earth, and the sun align – with our planet in the middle.

As a result, Mars will appear almost three times larger than normal in the night sky.