Mars, the red planet will be at aphelion (farthest point from the Sun) on Monday, August 26, 2019, where it will be at 249 million kilometers approximately from the Sun's centre.
“This astronomical phenomenon is important and rare because Mars arrive farthest point from the Sun only once two years approximately,” said Dr. Beshir Marzouk, astronomy expert at Qatar Calendar House.
The last aphelion was on Sunday, October 8, 2017. The next time it will be on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, he said.
The opposite phenomenon is called perihelion, in which Mars is 206 million kilometers from the Sun's centre. The last perihelion was on Sunday, September 6, 2018.
The variation of the distance between Mars and Sun (perihelion and aphelion) has an effect on Mars's surface heating and its brightness up to 31%.
“People in Qatar will not have a chance to observe this astronomical phenomenon this time because Mars on Monday will be very close to the Sun and moreover the setting time of Mars on Qatar sky will be after Sunset time by 9 minutes, so Sun light will hide Mars,” Dr. Beshir Marzouk added.
Mars --and all planets-- moves in its orbit around Sun on ellipse (elliptical) orbit, and that’s why Mars' distance from the Sun's centre varies.
So, the distance between the Sun and Mars is 206 million kilometers when Mars is at perihelion and 249 million kilometers when the planet is at aphelion
The average distance between Mars and the Sun is approximately 227 million kilometers.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the most Earth-like in our solar system, half the size of our planet. It has a dry, rocky surface and a very thin atmosphere. Moreover, the north and south poles of Mars are covered by ice caps composed of frozen carbon dioxide and water.
