This week uses an outstanding chance to see Mars in the night sky as it places on rather a program for observers in the world.
This week, the Red Planet is at opposition, suggesting it forms a straight line with Earth and the sun, with Earth in the middle. In this positioning, Mars will appear brighter than typical and be a lot easier to see in the sky. Mars is at opposition simply when every 26 months. In addition to being at opposition, today will likewise see a lunar occultation of Mars on Wednesday night (Dec. 7). An occultation is an occasion in which one things appears to pass behind another in the sky, totally vanishing from view. In this case, Mars will vanish behind the moon and come back an hour later on.
The lunar occultation of Mars will start quickly after sundown on Wednesday for audiences in North America, while skywatchers in Europe and parts of North Africa will have the ability to witness the phenomenon soon prior to daybreak in the early morning hours of Thursday (Dec. 8). If you’re not able to get outdoors throughout that time or if skies in your location are cloudy, you can view the lunar occultation of Mars online totally free, thanks to numerous webcasts from observatories worldwide. If conditions in your location are ideal to see the occasion personally, take a look at our tables listed below on optimum seeing times based upon your area.
Related: Mars at opposition will meet the moon next week (Dec. 7). Here’s how to see it
The lunar occultation of Mars will show up for the majority of North America, Europe and a couple of locations in northern Africa and the Middle East. Sky & & Telescope has actually assembled an extensive guide on the occasion(opens in brand-new tab), consisting of the map listed below revealing seeing areas and bumpy rides for seeing the occultation of Mars.
The table listed below lists the times of Mars’ disappearance and reappearance from behind the moon as seen from different places throughout North America. These times can differ substantially. If Mars passes behind the moon’s bigger main location from your vantage point, it might be covered for an hour or more. If the Red Planet slides behind the moon’s lower edge, it might be covered for less than a half hour. Disappearance and reappearance times noted below are for Mars’.
The table listed below offers particular occultation seeing times for 27 picked cities in the United States and Canada. For times with an asterisk
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Location | Time zone | Mars vanishes | Mars comes back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juneau | AKST | 6: 19 p.m. | 6: 55 p.m. |
| Los Angeles | PST | 6: 30 p.m. | 7: 30 p.m. |
| San Francisco | PST | 6: 34 p.m. | 7: 35 p.m. |
| Seattle | PST | 6: 51 p.m. | 7: 50 p.m. |
| Vancouver | PST | 6: 55 p.m. | 7: 52 p.m. |
| Tucson | MST | 7: 32 p.m. | 8: 27 p.m. |
| Las Vegas | MST | 7: 34 p.m. | 8: 35 p.m. |
| Salt Lake City | MST | 7: 41 p.m. | 8: 46 p.m. |
| Denver | MST | 7: 44 p.m. | 8: 48 p.m. |
| Helena | MST | 7: 51 p.m. | 8: 56 p.m. |
| Edmonton | MST | 8: 04 p.m. | 9: 06 p.m. |
| Yellowknife | MST | 8: 23 p.m. | 9: 16 p.m. |
| Whitehorse | MST | 8: 25 p.m. | 8: 57 p.m. |
| Tulsa | CST | 8: 54 p.m. | 9: 41 p.m. |
| Kansas City | CST | 8: 56 p.m. | 9: 52 p.m. |
| Austin | CST | 8: 57 p.m. | 9: 12 p.m. |
| Saskatoon | CST | 9: 03 p.m. | 10: 10 p.m. |
| Winnipeg | CST | 9: 05 p.m. | 10: 16 p.m. |
| Chicago | CST | 9: 10 p.m. | 10: 04 a.m. |
| Memphis | CST | 9: 14 p.m. | 9: 29 p.m. |
| Churchill | CST | 9: 22 p.m. | 10: 31 p.m. |
| Louisville | EST | 10: 21 p.m. | 10: 47 p.m. |
| Toronto | EST | 10: 29 p.m. | 11: 17 p.m. |
| Montreal | EST | 10: 40 p.m. | 11: 29 p.m. |
| Quebec City | EST | 10: 45 p.m. | 11: 36 p.m. |
| Halifax | AST | 12: 15 a.m. * | 12: 33 a.m. * |
| Gander | NST | 12: 47 a.m. * | 1: 37 a.m. * |
Even if you are beyond the seeing location for the occultation, you will still have the ability to see the moon and Mars in a close method of one another called an appulse.
The table listed below supplies times and areas for Mars’ closest technique to the lower edge of the moon throughout the occasion. Separation in between Mars and the moon’s lower edge is given up regards to minutes of arc. (The obvious width of the moon on Dec. 7 is 30 arc minutes.)
For times with an asterisk
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Location | Time zone | Closest method | Separation |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | CST | 9: 11 p.m. | 3 arc minutes. |
| Huntsville | CST | 9: 23 p.m. | 1 arc minutes. |
| Miami | EST | 10: 16 p.m. | 11 arc minutes. |
| Jacksonville | EST | 10: 23 p.m. | 7 arc minutes. |
| Atlanta | EST | 10: 26 p.m. | 3 arc minutes. |
| Columbia | EST | 10: 31 p.m. | 4 arc minutes. |
| Knoxville | EST | 10: 31 p.m. | 1 arc minutes. |
| Charlotte | EST | 10: 36 p.m. | 3 arc minutes. |
| Norfolk | EST | 10: 46 p.m. | 4 arc minutes. |
| Washington | EST | 10: 46 p.m. | 2 arc minutes. |
| Philadelphia | EST | 10: 51 p.m. | 1 arc minutes. |
| New York | EST | 10: 56 p.m. | 1 arc minutes. |
| Boston | EST | 11: 01 p.m. | 0.6 arc minutes. |
| San Juan | AST | 11: 51 p.m. | 23 arc minutes. |
| Hamilton | AST | 12: 06 a.m. * | 11 arc minutes. |
If you miss out on the lunar occultation of Mars on Dec. 7, you’ll need to wait up until January 2025 for the next one, so even if you can’t make it outside, make certain to enjoy Mars at opposition pass behind the moon in among the totally free livestreams readily available online.
If you’re a devoted skywatcher and even if you’re simply getting going, make certain to read our guides for the finest field glasses and the finest telescopes to see the occultation of Mars and other amazing things in the night sky. For catching the very best photos of Mars or the moon that you can, do not miss our suggestions for the very best video cameras for astrophotography and finest lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s Note: If you snap a terrific image of either Mars at opposition or the lunar occultation and want to share it with Space.com’s readers, send your image( s), remarks, and your name and area to spacephotos@space.com
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