See Mars hide behind the Moon tomorrow morning, in-person and online

The Red Planet will disappear behind the Moon on 8 December, and you can watch the event with the naked eye or online.

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Published: December 7, 2022 at 11:13 am

On the same day as Mars reaches opposition, the Red Planet will disappear behind the Moon in the early hours of tomorrow morning, 8 December, in an event known as a lunar occultation.

The lunar occultation of Mars will be visible from most of North America, northern Europe and north Africa, and can be seen with the naked eye.

Grab your binoculars or a small telescope, however, and the view will be quite spectacular.

For the full picture, read Pete Lawrence's fantastic guide on observing the lunar occultation of Mars, or scroll down for quick tips on observing the event and info how to see it online.

Credit: Pete Lawrence

How to see the 8 December lunar occultation of Mars

Credit: Pete Lawrence

Our timings below are for the centre of the UK, but your viewing location will affect timings slightly, varying them by up to a few minutes.

This is because locations away from the UK’s centre make the Moon appear in a slightly different position relative to Mars.

Start watching from 20 minutes or more before the stated event times, to make sure you don’t miss anything.

  • From the centre of the UK, disappearance begins at 04:57 UT
  • Mars will take about 36 seconds to fully disappear
  • Reappearance begins at 05:57 UT, the Red Planet also taking 34 seconds to reappear.
See Mars reappear from behind the Moon during the lunar occultation. Credit: (c) 2010 Luis Argerich / Getty Images

Where to watch the Mars occultation online

If you're clouded out or unable to watch the lunar occultation of Mars in person, astronomers from the Carnegie Institution for Science and Mount Wilson Observatory will be live-streaming the event.

Follow all the action below:

Are you planning to observe or even photograph the lunar occultation of Mars? Let us know how you got on by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com.

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