"Opposition of Mars" is the program title of a  9:30 to 11 p.m. Monday, July 30, event at the ONU Observatory, according to Dr. Jason Pinkey, observatory manager.

Pinkey said: "Mars will be just three days passed opposition.'Opposition' is the planetary configuration in which the planet appears in the opposite direction as the Sun from the Earth's perspective.

"It is also the time of closest approach to the Earth, making Mars look bigger and brighter than usual. This will be the closest we've come to Mars since the 2003 opposition (but that was the closest in about 60,000 years).

"At 9:30 p.m. Mars will not quite be high enough to see with the telescopes, but we will observe Venus, Jupiter and Saturn until Mars rises into view.

"We chose July 30 instead of July 27 because the full moon interferes with our view of Mars on the 27th."

The program is planned, weather permitting.