# Mars is up tonight, and she really is red!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-is-up-tonight-and-she-really-is-red/70917>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 2, 2001, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-is-up-tonight-and-she-really-is-red/70917 "2001-07-02T05:55:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tclouie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@tclouie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tclouie)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-is-up-tonight-and-she-really-is-red/70917/1 "2001-07-02T05:55:46Z")

</div>

No wonder the ancients called it the “red planet”! She’s easy to pick out and easy to find --about seven o’clock from the waxing gibbous moon.

(Sorry for the Northern Hemisphere-centrism – don’t want any more Aussies mad at me, I know how they can get.)

Of course, if you look at it straight-on, it’s not red per se. But the edges of the light are tinged with red. It’s an “impressionistic red.” Cool.

Mars. Up in the sky. Enjoy it while it lasts. Or better yet, wait till tomorrow at twilight and see Venus and Mars in the sky at the same time!

The Big Dipper is also up these days.

Now, if only it weren’t for that damn Kragen next to my house, with its all-night lights…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![amati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@amati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amati)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-is-up-tonight-and-she-really-is-red/70917/2 "2001-07-02T07:48:17Z")

</div>

hey now, _mars_ is totally male.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tclouie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@tclouie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tclouie)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-is-up-tonight-and-she-really-is-red/70917/3 "2001-07-02T07:52:33Z")

</div>

Martia, Martia, Martia! 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-is-up-tonight-and-she-really-is-red/70917/4 "2001-07-02T13:12:14Z")

</div>

Yeah, I noticed it, too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mars look redder than that. Quite striking.