Thirty-seven years ago today, on September 24, 1988 (August 14, 1988 lunar calendar), the once-in-a-century Mars "big rush" began. On September 22, 1988, at 11:18 am Beijing time, the distance from Mars to the earth was shortened from the farthest point of 400 million 1.30 million kilometers to the closest point of 58.81 million kilometers. This is the best time for humans to observe this mysterious planet on the ground in the past more than a century. Zou Zhenlong, a researcher at the Beijing Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told reporters that when the earth, Mars and the sun are in a straight line, scientists call this phenomenon "rush". September 22 to 28, 1988 are all "opposition". Mars is closer to the earth on the "opposition" day, and people can see it in the clear night sky. Except for the moon, the brightest celestial body in the sky is the orange-red planet. Researcher Zou Zhenlong said that Mars is closest to the earth and called "big rush". This year's Mars "big rush" is the most important in the 140 years from 1875 to 2025. It is understood that since the evening of September 22, the International Mars Observation Federation and the International Planetary Society have organized nearly 500 astrophysicists and amateur astronomers from 33 countries as a week-long global observation activity. The Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing Observatory has decided to open two astronomical observatories in Shahe, a suburb of Beijing, and Xinglong, Hebei Province, for free observation by astronomers for a week starting today.