Now's the time to catch Mars in the night sky.
Next week, the red planet is making its closest approach to Earth in 15 years.
The two planets will be just 35.8 million miles (57.6 million kilometers) apart next Tuesday. And on Friday, Mars will be in opposition. That means Mars and the sun will be on exact opposite sides of Earth. That same day, parts of the world will see a total lunar eclipse.
Mars is already brighter than usual and will shine even more— and appear bigger — as Tuesday nears. Astronomers expect good viewing through early August.
FILE - This image made available by NASA shows the planet Mars. This composite photo was created from over 100 images of Mars taken by Viking Orbiters in the 1970s. On Tuesday, July 31, 2018, the red planet will make its closest approach to Earth in 15 years. (NASA via AP)
A massive dust storm presently engulfing Mars, however, is obscuring surface details normally visible through telescopes. The Martian atmosphere is so full of dust that NASA's Opportunity rover can't recharge — not enough sunlight can reach its solar panels — and so it's been silent since June 10. Flight controllers don't expect to hear from 14-year-old Opportunity until the storm subsides, and maybe not even then.
The good news about all the Martian dust is that it reflects sunlight, which makes for an even brighter red planet, said Widener University astronomer Harry Augensen.
"It's magnificent. It's as bright as an airplane landing light," Augensen said. "Not quite as bright as Venus, but still because of the reddish, orange-ish-red color, you really can't miss it in the sky."
In 2003, Mars and Earth were the closest in nearly 60,000 years — 34.6 million miles (55.7 million kilometers). NASA said that won't happen again until 2287. The next close approach, meanwhile, in 2020, will be 38.6 million miles (62 million kilometers), according to NASA.
Observatories across the U.S. are hosting Mars-viewing events next week. Los Angeles' Griffith Observatory will provide a live online view of Mars early Tuesday.
The total lunar eclipse on Friday will be visible in Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon line up perfectly, casting Earth's shadow on the moon. Friday's will be long, lasting 1 hour and 43 minutes.
MODESTO, Calif. (AP) — California will open its first new state park in a decade this summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state officials announced Monday, as the state sets targets for cutting planet-warming emissions on natural lands.
The 1,600-acre (648-hectare) Dos Rios tract in the state's crop-rich Central Valley is set to open June 12 as California's 281st state park. Located near the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers, it is surrounded by vast almond orchards and dairy pastures. Californians will be able to use the park for hiking and picnicking, with plans for swimming and boating access in the future.
Ali Manzo, a Central Valley native and California State Parks interpreter, said the new park will help bring people together and allow them to develop a deeper respect for nature.
“Dos Rios is not just a park," Manzo said. "It's a community treasure that offers peace, adventure and a vital connection to nature.”
Manzo joined the governor, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta to announce the new park.
The Earth-Day announcement comes as Newsom unveiled new targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions on natural lands. The plan sets out to reduce the risks of wildfires, expand forest cover and restore wetlands. Newsom said the targets would move the state closer toward achieving its mandate of carbon neutrality, meaning it will remove as many carbon emissions from the atmosphere as it emits, by 2045.
“These are stretch goals, unquestionably,” the Democratic governor said. “The good news is we're making real progress.”
Newsom did not say what success would look like for implementing the targets. His administration did not release an estimate for how much the plan would cost the state, which is facing a massive projected budget deficit.
The targets come out of a law Newsom signed in 2022 requiring the state Natural Resources Agency to work with other agencies to create a plan to reduce emissions from natural lands.
The plan aims to reduce the risks of wildfires across nearly 53,000 square miles (138,000 square kilometers) of land by 2045 through methods that include burning vegetation that can make wildfires more intense. The state also plans to plant 4.2 million trees, manage and restore 1.6 million acres (647,000 hectares) of grasslands, and protect more than 233,000 acres (94,000 hectares) of wetlands and seagrasses along that timeline.
California has spent about $9.6 billion since 2020 on efforts address climate change using the state's natural lands.
Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot called the plan “a big deal” because the state has focused much of its climate policy on reducing emissions from other areas, such as the energy sector, and less so from natural lands.
“We know we have to reduce pollution significantly, but we also need to improve the health of our landscapes to actually remove carbon dioxide from the air,” Crowfoot said.
In recent years, the state has approved the eventual phasing out of the sale of new fossil fuel-powered cars, lawn mowers, large trucks that transport goods through ports and trains powered by diesel.
Sophie Austin reported from Sacramento. Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: @sophieadanna
Gov. Gavin Nerwsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom plant a valley oak during the dedication for the new Dos Rios State Park in the Central Valley near Modesto, Calif., Monday, April 22, 2024. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee via AP)
American labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta speaks during the dedication of the new Dos Rios State Park in the Central Valley, near Modesto, Calif., Monday, April 22, 2024. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee via AP)
Gov. Gavin Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom laugh during a speech by Dolores Huerta during the dedication of the new Dos Rios State Park in the Central Valley, near Modesto, Calif., Monday, April 22, 2024. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee via AP)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom talks during a ground breaking ceremony at the Dos Rios property, in Modesto, Calif. on Monday April 22, 2024. The property is located in the state's crop-rich Central Valley region, where the state will open its first new state park in a decade this summer. The announcement comes as the state sets targets for cutting planet-warming emissions on natural lands. (AP Photo/Sophie Austin)
Civil Rights activist Dolores Huerta speaks during a ground breaking ceremony where the state will open its first new state park in a decade at the Dos Rios property, in Modesto, Calif. on Monday April 22, 2024. The announcement comes as the state sets targets for cutting planet-warming emissions on natural lands. (AP Photo/Sophie Austin)
Civil Rights activist Dolores Huerta participates in a ground breaking ceremony where the state will open its first new state park in a decade at the Dos Rios property, in Modesto, Calif. on Monday April 22, 2024. The announcement comes as the state sets targets for cutting planet-warming emissions on natural lands. (AP Photo/Sophie Austin)
First partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom plants a tree during ground breaking ceremony where the state will open the first new state park in a decade on Monday April 22, 2024 at the Dos Rios property, in Modesto, Calif. The announcement comes as the state sets targets for cutting planet-warming emissions on natural lands. (AP Photo/Sophie Austin)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom breaks ground at a new state park in a decade on Monday April 22, 2024 at the Dos Rios property, in Modesto, Calif. The announcement comes as the state sets targets for cutting planet-warming emissions on natural lands. (AP Photo/Sophie Austin)
