SCIENCE FILE : Star Tours

The red planet Mars is near the red star Antares through the end of the month. “Antares” is Greek for “rival of Mars,” as the star rivals Mars in color and is the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion. Actually, both look orange. They are at their closest on the 17th. Look for a pair of red “stars” low in the southwest before 9 p.m. Mars is the brighter and higher of the two.

Source: John Mosley, Griffith Observatory