A worldwide red planet hangover lingers after Mars' closest approach to Earth in recorded history. Millions of skywatchers -- young and old, new and seasoned -- are recovering from one of the most celebrated night sky events in memory.

Perhaps you got your fill. Or maybe you missed the party. Either way, I've concocted some remedies.

If you're feeling addicted, relax. Mars will remain the life of skywatching parties for weeks to come. Like a backyard astronomer's Bloody Mary, the red planet invites you to get up and do it again.

Though the historic proximity -- at 5:51 a.m. ET on Aug. 27 -- was a fleeting moment, Mars lingers at full brightness through Sept. 2. And it remains a distinctly luminous target into October.

"Many people have the misimpression that there is something special about the appearance of Mars on Aug. 27, as if it were substantially closer then than the day before or after," said John Mosley of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. "The reality is that Mars is close to Earth all the month of August and will remain close all through September. The distances involved are great and they change little from one day to the next."

Mars was less than 34.65 million miles (55.76 million kilometers) away early Wednesday morning.

In early November of 2005, Mars' will make its next relatively close approach to Earth, a setup called opposition, in which Earth and Mars are lined up on the same side of the Sun. But the next opposition will not be as spectacular as 2003. Mars' peak brightness in 2005 will be magnitude -2.3, slightly dimmer than what you can see right now.

Through Sept. 4 this year, Mars shines at magnitude -2.8 or better.

On this magnitude scale used by astronomers, lower numbers represent brighter objects, with negative numbers reserved for the most brilliant.

Come the end of September, Mars will still be at magnitude -2.1, brighter than all stars.

Yesterday, the online telescope seller Astronomics reported having one remaining unit of a certain good-sized telescope promising excellent views of Mars, distant galaxies and other deep space objects. It will arrive Tuesday on the doorstep of its eager new owner.

I know this because, frustrated with an inability to see surface features on Mars through a modest telescope, I decided to graduate to one that will guarantee a peek at the south polar ice cap and dark surface markings before the planet's current orbital dalliance with Earth carries it beyond optimal viewing range.

There is also plenty of time to plan a skywatching outing to the country, where the views are better than under city or suburban lighting conditions. You can seek a solitary sky or join a planned gathering of amateur astronomers.

If you don't own a telescope, try calling a nearby observatory for public viewing times. An online search for your city or region can help find one.

Or, at the least, simply wander out your front door and marvel at the rust-colored object that is temporarily so historically close.

Saturn rises in the East around 2 a.m., is well up before dawn, and is one of the brightest objects in that region of the sky. It is much dimmer than Mars, however, and it hovers against a background several bright stars.

Saturn's magnitude is a positive number, 0.15. (The dimmest objects visible at night under dark skies are around magnitude 6.0.)

If you've dug out an old telescope for Mars viewing, even a small one, point it at Saturn: The rings are an amazing sight for first-timers and seasoned skywatchers alike.

Rigel and Saturn are of equal brilliance. Capella is slightly brighter.

Even Sirius, at magnitude -1.47, is not as dazzling as Mars. But it is twice as bright as any other star in the night sky.

Not a morning person?

Arcturus will be one of the first stars to emerge as the Sun's glare fades in the West. Around 10 p.m. local time, stretch your arm out and count two fist-widths above the horizon, and there Arcturus will be. It follows the Sun's path, setting around 11:30 p.m.