Earth Will Line Up Directly With the Sun and Mars Tonight

Credit: NASA

As the sun sets tonight, sky gazers will get a special treat from mother nature: a view of the sun setting in the west and Mars rising in the east.

NASA announced that Mars and Earth are traveling toward one another on their orbits around the sun. Next week, Eartha and Mars will be the closest they ever get, about 57 million miles from one another.

But tonight, those on Earth will get a special treat called the "Opposition of Mars," which occurs when Mars is on the opposite side of Earth from the sun.

To casual observers, Mars will be visible all night as it rises in the east and sets in the west.