The planet Mars will reach opposition (i.e. be directly opposite the Sun seen from Earth) slightly before 0.20 am GMT on Wednesday 14 October 2020. This means that it will both be completely illuminated by the Sun. While it is not obvious to the naked eye observer, the planets have phases just like those of the Moon; being further from the Sun than the Earth, Mars is 'full' when directly opposite the Sun, something which should be visible with binoculars or a telescope.
While the relative positions of the planets have no direct influence on life on Earth, the opposition of Mars does present the best opportunity for observations of the planet by Earth-based observers. Mars orbits the Sun at an average distance of 1.52 AU, completing one orbit around the Sun every 687 days. This means that it reaches Solar Opposition roughly once every two year, and reaches conjunction (when it is directly behind the Sun seen from the Earth), in the intervening years.
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