On Monday (December 5), Uranus will briefly disappear from the night sky as the Moon passes in front of the dim planet, called a lunar eclipse.
The lunar eclipse will begin at 12:30 pm EDT (5:30 pm GMT) when Uranus, which will be in the constellation of Aries, begins to disappear behind the moon. According to In the Sky, at the beginning of the lunar eclipse, Uranus will have a right ascension of 02:52:40 and will be about 16 degrees above the horizon. (will open in a new tab). (If you hold out your fist at arm’s length, its width will be about ten degrees across the sky.)
As the seventh planet from the Sun disappears behind the Moon, the ice giant planet will have a visual magnitude of 5.7, meaning it won’t be particularly bright to the naked eye. The lunar eclipse of Uranus will end in a few hours at 2:25 pm EDT (19:25 GMT).
On the subject: December 2022 full moon: cold moon covers Mars
As is the case with all lunar occultations or events where the Moon moves in front of other astronomical objects such as planets in the solar system or stars, the occultation of Uranus on December 5 will only be visible from a tiny portion of the Earth’s surface.
This event will be visible from Northern Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia, but will not be observed from the US.
This limited visibility is due to the fact that the Moon is closer to the Earth than other celestial objects. This proximity means that the position of the Moon changes depending on where on Earth it is being observed from.
When observers in regions of our planet from which the moon occults Uranus see the ice giant disappear from the sky, observers on the opposite side of the planet will see the pair separated by as much as two degrees, a distance across the sky four times the diameter of the full moon.
This means that while skywatchers in some of these regions will miss the eclipse, the Moon’s position will give them a good reference point for locating Uranus in the night sky.
An illustration of where Uranus will appear in the night sky during December 2022. (Image credit: Starry Night Education)
This will depend on whether Uranus is above the horizon during the occultation and the sky is dark enough to show the dim ice giant planet.
Amateur astronomers who are lucky enough to be in the region of the planet, from where the eclipse of Uranus by the Moon is visible, can observe what is happening through binoculars or a telescope.
Skywatchers hoping to see a distance of two degrees between them will have to give up the telescope. The Moon and Uranus would be too far apart when viewed from these regions of the Earth to be seen in the narrow field of view of a telescope. However, sky observation binoculars can help you get a closer view as they offer a wider field of view than telescopes.
Lunar and Uranian occultations are considered quite rare, but 2022 was a lucky year for this astronomical event. Every month since February 2022, the Moon hides an ice giant at least somewhere around the globe.
If you’re new to skygazing or have been doing it for years, don’t miss our guides to the best binoculars and the best telescopes for observing Uranus and other celestial wonders. For the best pictures of Uranus, check out our recommendations for the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s Note: If you have photographed Uranus near the Moon and would like to share it with Space.com readers, please send your photos, comments, your name and location to spacephotos@.
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