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Today the planet Mars is directly opposite the Sun, as Earth lines up exactly between both objects. Mars is currently retrograding in apparent sky motion relative to background stars, as Earth catches up with the slower orbiting planet. Our closest proximity is reached May 30. By then, Mars is vivid, appearing about as bright as Jupiter for the first time in a decade. With its rusty color, views of the “red” planet shouldn’t be missed.

Get more astronomy updates from the Sky Reporter. 

The likeness is uncanny. What artwork do you look like?

“Portrait of Leslie W. Miller,” 1901, Thomas Eakins Photo via Instagram by @biloon

“La creazione dell’uomo (The Creation of Man),” 1964, Tano Festa (Private Collection, Rome) Photo via Instagram by @kamsour24

“The Four Seasons,” 1893-4, Léon Frédéric Photo via Instagram by @theresaxchi

1. This was much harder to make than it looks! To achieve this resolution with an electron microscope, it took 10 seconds to capture each frame of this “video.” The traditional 30 frames per second video was impossible. Instead, this is stop motion - like those Wallace and Gromit cartoons. Ben Krasnow of the youtube channel Applied Science took a picture, moved the record slightly, then took another image and on and on. Because electron microscopes can’t image electrical insulators, he had to coat the whole thing with a thin, thin layer of silver. You can watch the whole process in this video.