Stargazers were thrilled early Thursday morning as they watched Mars pass behind the moon.
The rare occurrence was made even more impressive because Mars was also at opposition on Wednesday night and there was a full moon known as the “Cold Moon”.
This combination of factors caused Mars to appear to be eclipsed by the Moon.
What does Mars in opposition mean?
When a planet is in opposition, it means that it is directly opposite the Sun in Earth’s sky.
This means that the Sun, Earth and Mars are aligned with the Earth at the center.
When this happens, Mars is at its brightest, as it rises when the sun sets and sets when it rises. As of Wednesday evening, Mars was the brightest star in the sky at magnitude -1.8, but still with its famous reddish tint.
Mars oppositions occur roughly every 26 months. The next one will take place in January 2025.
Why did Mars follow the Moon?
This is known as a lunar eclipse of Mars. The word “occult” means “to hide” or “to make invisible.”
As of Wednesday evening, this phenomenon was observed in North America, northern Mexico, most of Europe and northern Africa.
The event took place in North America in the evening, and in Europe – shortly before sunrise.
The eclipse occurred due to the fact that the Moon was briefly between the Earth and Mars, eclipsing the red planet.
Astronomy guide sky and telescope explains: “When the eclipse begins, the Moon moves to the left across the sky towards Mars. Because Mars is a disk, albeit a small one, it takes many seconds or even minutes for the moon to engulf the planet, depending on your viewing location.
“This is different from when the moon eclipses the distant spiky stars, which immediately disappear. The length of time the Moon will again eclipse the red planet depends on the location – for some viewers, Mars will be absent from the sky for only a few minutes, others will not see the planet for more than an hour.
Mars then reappeared on the right side of the Moon.
How can I watch a Martian eclipse?
If you missed the eclipse in person, you can still watch the event live.
The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California posted a video to YouTube, which you can find here.
He will also upload the timelapse later Thursday at 16:00 GMT.
Source: I News
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