The Moon will eclipse Mars next week, and you can watch the event live from the comfort of your own home.
On Monday (January 30), Mars will disappear from view behind the Moon in an event known as a lunar eclipse. Skywatchers in the southernmost states of the US, stretching from California to Florida, as well as Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, should be able to see the show in the night sky starting at approximately 8:30 pm PST for Los Angeles. A list of optimal viewing times can be found at Space.com, courtesy of veteran skywatcher Joe Rao.
For interested skywatchers who live out of sight or don’t want to endure a cold January night, the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is hosting a free online stream of the event, courtesy of the observatory’s website. (will open in a new tab) or his YouTube channel (will open in a new tab). The live stream will begin on Monday (January 30) at 11:00 PM EDT (04:00 GMT January 31) and will run for two hours.
On the subject: Don’t miss the lunar eclipse of Mars next week on Monday (January 30)
During the Griffith Observatory’s live broadcast of the occultation of Mars by the Moon, the Red Planet will disappear behind the Moon around 23:36 EST (04:36 GMT January 31), and then reappear almost an hour later at 00:30 EST (05 :30 GMT). ).
The last lunar eclipse of Mars took place on December 7, 2022 under the December full moon and amazed skywatchers, many of whom managed to capture many stunning photos. The Griffith Observatory also released great footage of this previous eclipse, giving some insight into what to expect next Monday.
During Monday’s lunar eclipse of Mars, the moon will be 68% illuminated by the waxing bulge, according to Farmer’s Almanac. (will open in a new tab). Mars, meanwhile, won’t be as bright as it was in December’s lunar occultation either. After this event, the Red Planet moved away from the Earth by about 30 million miles (48 million kilometers) and looks much less bright than the last time it was eclipsed by the Moon.
However, this should turn out to be a photogenic lunar eclipse of Mars, due to the Red Planet approaching the Moon from the west and disappearing behind its darkened edge, and then reappearing on the bright side of the lunar disk.
If you live outside of the moon’s eclipse viewing area and prefer to watch the sky in person, you’re still in for a celestial show as the Moon and Mars appear close together in the night sky during an event known as a push. You can find a table of viewing times and locations in our eclipse story published earlier this week.
Whether you want to see a front-row eclipse of Mars by the Moon or a close approach of the Red Planet and the Moon, our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars are a great place to find the equipment you need. If you want to take some photos of this event, check out our best astrophotography cameras and best astrophotography lenses.
Editor’s Note: If you have a great photo of a Mars occultation or a close encounter between the Red Planet and the Moon that you would like to share with Space.com readers, please submit your photos, comments, and your name. and address to spacephotos@.
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