IT WAS billed as the biggest celestial event for 60,000 years. Astronomers across the country were polishing their telescopes in anticipation of the closest encounter with Mars than at any time since the Ice Age.

Stargazers could make out surface markings and polar ice-caps on the Red Planet as it came to within 34,646,418 miles of the Earth - 145 times the distance to the Moon.

But weathermen warned that hopes of an exciting close encounter looked certain to come to nothing in the North-East.

Predictable weather of black clouds and drizzle was forecast to leave many stargazers gnashing their teeth in frustration.

However, Bob Mullen, from the Planetarium at Castle Eden Walkway, near Stockton, said the thick cloud may have put paid to any chance there was to see it.

He said: "We are looking at thick cloud and there is very little chance of seeing anything. When I looked out at 1.30am on Thursday I was disappointed because I could not see anything due to the cloud.

"It is coming up from the south, but looking out that way it is solid cloud and if it continues like that it looks as though it is going to be a bit of a dead week."

Anyone who misses this week's close encounter will have to wait another 284 years for the planets to be so near to one another again.

Those who are lucky enough to see it will be able to identify it by its reddish colour. Telescopes, even the smallest ones, will allow people to see the planet's details.

However, people without a telescope need not worry as to the naked eye, Mars will appear about the same size as a mid-sized crater on the moon.

The reason Mars is so close to the Earth this year has to do with the planets' orbits.

Earth and Mars are like two runners going round a racetrack at different speeds.

It takes Mars 687 days to complete one orbit of the Sun compared with the Earth's 365.

A star party is being held at the Castle Eden planetarium tomorrow evening to mark the event.

People around the region will converge on the planetarium with their telescopes to witness the Red Planet being so close, and Mr Mullen is hoping the cloud will break by then to allow those taking part the chance to see Mars.

Tickets for the event have sold out which is not surprising as the last time the Red Planet was this close to the Earth humans were living in caves and hunting mammoths.

* Don't worry if you missed it last night. Mars will be close to the Earth for the rest of the year. To see Mars clearly it is necessary to stay up until 1am, when the planet will be sufficiently high in the sky.