March 28, 2024

La Ronge Northerner

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A rare eclipse of Mars by the full moon fascinates stargazers in the unseen

A rare eclipse of Mars by the full moon fascinates stargazers in the unseen

On Wednesday (December 7), skywatchers around the world received a celestial show as the full moon eclipsed Mars in the night sky.

The rare event, known as a lunar occultation, refers to a single celestial body — in this case, Mars – appearing to disappear or hide behind another – in this case, the moon. This ambiguity was particularly noteworthy because Mars was in opposition, viz a land It was directly between it and the Sun, which makes the Red Planet appear particularly bright in the sun night sky.

Related: Watch Mars in opposition in this free webcast tonight (December 8)

A view of the last full moon of 2022 through the Christmas lights in San Salvador, El Salvador. (Photo credit: Camilo Freedman/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)