When you’ve been following Mars within the run-up to its opposition on 16 January 2025, you can remember that it is having a look splendidly brilliant within the evening sky.
On 13 January 2025, an extraordinary lunar occultation of Mars was once visual to US stargazers, making the Pink Planet appear to vanish at the back of the Moon, prior to reappearing out the opposite facet.
This lunar occultation of Mars was once visual from all the continental US (simply!), however no longer visual from Europe.
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The lunar occultation of Mars through the Wolf Moon, captured through Chirag Upreti, Bronx, New York, USA, 13 January 2025, 21:23 native time. Apparatus: Sony A7R3, Sony 200-600 lens with X2 teleconverter, ISO 200, 1200mm, f/14, 1/100sec
The lunar occultation befell on 13 January 2025 the most efficient staring at technique being to find the brilliant complete Moon, determine brilliant Mars to the east of it, and stay observing.
Other places inside america skilled the development at other instances because of lunar parallax.
Which means, as a result of Earth is with regards to the Moon, there’s be a shift in Mars’s place relative to the Moon within the evening sky, relying on the place you might be staring at from.
A lunar occultation of Mars. Credit score: Pete Lawrence
Because of this, as an example, the development was once visual in the United States, while in Europe, Mars would get with regards to the Moon, however no longer disappear at the back of it.
Looking at a lunar occultation of Mars with binoculars provides a greater view of the Pink Planet disappearing at the back of the Moon: a complete Moon will also be very brilliant!
Lunar occultation of Mars visual from the United States, 13 January 2025. Credit score: Pete Lawrence
Wolf Moon defined
This lunar occultation of Mars befell all the way through a brilliant complete Moon, the primary complete Moon of 2025, to be precise.
It is recognized through some because the ‘Wolf Moon’, as a result of wolves do not hibernate all the way through iciness, and so they are probably the most few animals lively within the wild at the moment of yr.
Every month’s complete Moon nickname displays occasions happening in nature on the time of yr in query, and January’s complete Moon has develop into referred to as the Wolf Moon.
Complete Moon nicknames are simply that, on the other hand: they are casual nicknames that do not mirror how the Moon will glance or behave.
When you noticed or photographed the lunar occultation of Mars on 13 January 2025, percentage your reports and pictures with us through emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com.
Due to Pete Lawrence for offering the dates and timings, and for generating the chart integrated right here.
