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Mars and the moon meet in the sky TONIGHT, as the Red Planet makes its closest approach to Earth in years.
- Mars and the moon will meet beginning at 11:35 pm ET on Friday.
- Earth prepares to pass between Mars and the sun, bringing the planets closer together
- Those who live in South America will see the moon and Mars align for an occult
- This month also brings a Blue Moon and Orinoid meteor shower
Mars and the moon are ready to show tonight that you are out of this world.
The Red Planet is getting closer to Earth and when the lunar orb rises, the two will appear to hang close to each other in the night sky.
The conjunction begins at 11:35 p.m. ET on Friday, October 2, with the closest approach seen shortly after midnight.
They will both appear in the east, but then move west as the night progresses and around 2 a.m. ET, the pair will reach their highest points in the southern sky.
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Mars and the moon are ready to show tonight that you are out of this world. The Red Planet is getting closer to Earth and when the lunar orb rises, the two will appear to hang close to each other in the night sky.
According to EarthSky, those who live in the southern region of the world will see the moon closest to Mars.
Those who live in South America will witness the hidden moon, or cover, Mars for part of Friday night and all of Saturday night.
The reason Mars and the moon meet is because Earth is preparing to fight its way between the red planet and the sun on October 13.
Mars and Earth get closer every two years.
The conjunction begins at 11:35 p.m. ET on Friday, October 2, with the closest approach seen shortly after midnight. Pictured is the event captured in 2003. A powerful telescope was able to take a picture of the moon’s surface with Mars hanging nearby.
This is because Mars orbits the Sun every 26 months, compared to 12 on Earth, but the distance between them varies each time.
This brings Mars into opposition once every two years in our sky, EarthSky reports, and will reach opposition on October 14.
The glow that Mars emits will not be seen for 15 years.
October is full of cosmic wonders, as stargazers are in luck this month when hundreds of shooting stars light up the sky during an Orionid meteor shower.
These meteors cross the sky every October, beginning November 2-7, but peak viewing is expected on the morning of October 21.
This cosmic event occurs when the Earth passes through a debris stream left by Halley’s Comet, the father comet of the Orionid shower.
October is full of cosmic wonders, as stargazers are in luck this month when hundreds of shooting stars light up the sky during an Orionid meteor shower. These meteors cross the sky every October, beginning November 2-7, but peak viewing is expected on the morning of October 21. In the photo, the rain in 2012.
Astronomers note that meteors can move 148,000 miles per hour into the atmosphere, but they leave trails of gas in the sky that last for a few seconds.
NASA considers the Orionids one of the most beautiful showers of the year, which are visible in the northern and southern hemispheres after midnight.
This month also brings with it a rare Blue Moon that will be visible in all time zones.
Our lunar neighbor will not glow blue, but the name is given because it is the second full moon to appear in the same month; the first occurs on October 1.
The cosmic display occurs seven times every 19 years, which means the world won’t see the next one on October 31 until 2039.
What makes this event even rarer is that it will be seen all over the world for the first time since WWII.
People from North and South America will get a glimpse of the Blue Moon, along with those from India, Europe, and Asia.
