Mars Closest Approach - Jan. 27

Every 26 months the earth swings between Mars and the sun - bringing us as close as possible to Mars for those 26 months.   On January 27 Mars will be as closer to us than it has been for over two years.  In fact, in 2012 Mars will be even further from us when it is at conjuction.   So now is a good time to test your optics and see if you can observe a polar cap and some surface detail.