Amateur Astronomy

The three of us stood outside, peering through the washing on the Hills Hoist.

It that it?
Maybe.
Isn't Mars that red one there?
It said it's the brightest thing in the sky next to the moon. It has to be that one.
No, that's... thing. The dog star.
Sirius?
Is that the dog star?
Yeah, like in Harry. Sirius. Dog. Sirius.
Yeah... but it's not Mars. I went to astronomy camp!
OK. But it's supposed to be the closest in 60 000 years. Surely it's bright?
Let's google it then.

Mars came its closest to the Earth in 60 000 years on August 27...
2003.
We missed out by 4 years.
And now, it's the lunar eclipse, and banks of clouds as far as we can see.