Science & EnvironmentA Stargazers’ Guide to Watching the Full Moon Pass...

A Stargazers’ Guide to Watching the Full Moon Pass Mars and the a New Come

-

- Advertisment -spot_img


The first full moon of the year will glide through the sky on Monday night. For lucky stargazers in some parts of the world, it will also pass in front of the more-brilliantly-red-than-usual Mars in an event known as a lunar occultation.

But that’s not all January’s sky has to offer. A new comet, expected to be the brightest of the year, is nearing its closest approach to the sun on Monday — though spotting it, at least in northern skies, will be tricky.

According to NASA, a lunar occultation occurs when the moon passes in front of an object, like a distant planet, that appears much smaller in the sky. An occultation is similar to a solar eclipse — when the moon obscures the sun — but much less grand.

Lunar occultations can happen several times a year and when the moon is in any phase. Earlier this month, a crescent moon that slipped over Saturn was visible for people in Europe, northern Africa and parts of Greenland and Russia.

Mars has been appearing bigger and brighter in the night sky as it nears Earth. It is approaching what is known as opposition, which occurs when Mars is on the opposite side of Earth as the sun. During opposition, Mars is closer to us than usual and its face is fully lit by the sun as viewed from our world, making for spectacular views of the Red Planet.

Mars is in opposition every 26 months. This year, it reaches opposition on Jan. 15 at 9:32 p.m. Eastern time. But the planet has been steadily growing more brilliant since November.

Only people in North America and parts of Africa will be able to see the moon occult Mars on Monday. Elsewhere, Mars will just appear close to the moon, a celestial occurrence known as a conjunction. The occultation will last for more than an hour in some places and be visible with the unaided eye, though binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view.

The event will begin at different times, depending on where you live. According to a chart published by the International Occultation Timing Association, Mars will disappear behind the moon on Monday at 6:21 p.m. in Seattle, 9:16 p.m. in Washington, D.C., and 9:21 p.m. in New York City, all local times. Observers in Montreal will see the occultation start at 9:25 p.m., and in Accra, Ghana, at 4:53 a.m., before sunrise on Tuesday.

Comet ATLAS, or C/2024 G3 to astronomers, was spotted last April by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System and shares the name of many other comets discovered by the network of telescopes, including Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which blazed through the sky last October.

Like all comets, C/2024 G3 is a frozen chunk of material left over from the formation of the solar system that has begun to melt as it approaches the sun. It will reach perihelion, or its closest approach to the sun, on Jan. 13, and come within 8.4 million miles of the solar surface.

Some comets disintegrate from the heat. But if they survive the encounter, perihelion is when they are expected to be brightest — though being so close to the sun can make them difficult to see.

Some observers in the Northern Hemisphere have already spotted Comet ATLAS, a fuzzy dot with a short tail, low on the eastern horizon before sunrise. Because of its altitude and the light of dawn, it is difficult to see, especially without binoculars or a telescope.

Closer to perihelion, those with an unobstructed view of the western horizon may be able to catch the comet in the evening near the setting sun. Interactive star maps like this one can help with figuring out where and when to look.

If Comet ATLAS survives perihelion, it will migrate to skies in the Southern Hemisphere in the latter half of January, and be visible there in the evenings after sunset. As the comet moves away from the sun it will climb higher in the sky, but also grow dimmer each day.



Source link

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest news

Sources: PGA Tour rejects PIF’s recent $1.5B offer

Mark SchlabachApr 4, 2025, 06:38 AM ETCloseSenior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of...

Dementia risk could dip with common vaccine, study suggests

The link between the zoster vaccine and a lower dementia risk has been strengthened in new research.A...

Bill Murray snaps at man in New York movie theater, accuses him of assault

Bill Murray is putting his foot down.The actor was at a movie theater in New York recently...

Sticker shock: Fujifilm film prices bumped as high as 52% in Japan

Photo: Abby Ferguson Unfortunately, this Film Friday brings some disappointing news. Price hikes are in the news everywhere right...
- Advertisement -spot_imgspot_img

Trump’s Tariffs Could Threaten His ‘Energy Dominance’ Agenda

President Trump has promised to usher in an era of “energy dominance” and cut energy costs in half...

Must read

New country album pays homage to Tom Petty

New country album pays homage to Tom Petty...

At least 10 shot dead as section of Kenyan parliament set on fire

At least ten people were shot dead in...
- Advertisement -spot_imgspot_img

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you