by During this lunar occultation, Mars will appear to vanish behind the moon's dark limb.
Come Monday night (Jan. 30), the central and northern United States and southern Canada will be able to watch as a waxing gibbous moon will slide closely below the planet Mars.
But across parts of southern California, the Southern Rockies and the Southwest Desert, as well as much of Texas and Oklahoma and down into the Deep South including Southern Georgia and Florida, the moon will cross in front of Mars, causing an occultation or eclipse of the planet.
For this upcoming game of hide-and-seek, however, the moon will be not quite so bright (74% illuminated) and neither will Mars.
Having retreated 29.63 million miles (47.68 million km) farther away from Earth since its December lunar encounter, Mars now appears less than one-quarter as bright.
As the moon approaches from the west — Mars will appear to vanish behind the moon's dark limb. Reappearance will take place from behind the bright limb.
Source
Come Monday night (Jan. 30), the central and northern United States and southern Canada will be able to watch as a waxing gibbous moon will slide closely below the planet Mars.
But across parts of southern California, the Southern Rockies and the Southwest Desert, as well as much of Texas and Oklahoma and down into the Deep South including Southern Georgia and Florida, the moon will cross in front of Mars, causing an occultation or eclipse of the planet.
For this upcoming game of hide-and-seek, however, the moon will be not quite so bright (74% illuminated) and neither will Mars.
Having retreated 29.63 million miles (47.68 million km) farther away from Earth since its December lunar encounter, Mars now appears less than one-quarter as bright.
As the moon approaches from the west — Mars will appear to vanish behind the moon's dark limb. Reappearance will take place from behind the bright limb.
Source
