As the Moon orbits Earth, it skims through the sky, passing by the planets each month. But sometimes, things align just right and the Moon appears to pass in front of a planet from our point of view. Such an event is called an occultation, and there’s one coming to the sky Wednesday night, when bright, ruddy Mars is temporarily blocked from view by Earth’s lone natural satellite.
The Red Planet reaches opposition early Thursday morning — a day already marked on many observers’ calendars. But just a few hours earlier, late on Wednesday night, the nearly Full Moon will occult Mars for skywatchers in most of the U.S. (The only exceptions are those on the East and Gulf coasts, who will witness a near miss.) Additionally, observers in Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the U.K., northern Africa, and northwestern Europe can also see the event.Binoculars or a telescope will be useful ...
