CINCINNATI, Oh. – Skygazers in the midwest will be treated by a unique sight on the evening of Monday, January 13th. The paths of the Moon and Mars will cross in the sky, leading to the Red Planet disappearing from sight behind the Moon for a little over an hour in the early evening. Exact timing depends on your location, but most viewers in the tri-state will see the event begin shortly after 9PM and Mars will reappear roughly an hour and fifteen minutes later.
“When the Moon passes in front of a planet or a star, it is known as a lunar occultation. Occultations of planets can be relatively rare and visibility depends on your location. This is a great opportunity for our region to witness Mars disappearing from the night sky!” says Dr. Wes Ryle, Astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory.
The additional benefit of this type of event is that no special equipment is needed for viewing. Sky watchers only need a naked eye view of the Moon to witness the event and it will be high in the sky at the time of the occultation. Mars will appear as a bright, reddish point of light near the Moon before and after its disappearance. As with any night sky event, cloudy skies have a chance to ruin the view. The Cincinnati Observatory will not be holding a public event for the occultation because it is easily enjoyed at home.
The planets, Moon, and Sun all follow similar paths in the sky, tied to their common location in the plane of our solar system. However, having the Moon pass directly in front of a planet is a rare occurrence, even more infrequent than solar and lunar eclipses. The appearance and length of the occultation also varies based on your location on the Earth, with this event visible to most of North America. The next lunar occultation of Mars visible from the United States will not occur until 2042.
Outside of Monday’s lunar occultation of Mars, the next couple months are a great time for planet viewing, with Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn all visible to the naked eye in the early evening. Those seeking telescope views of the planets can investigate any of the regularly occurring events at the Cincinnati Observatory via their website . For those interested in how the night sky changes over time, including the paths of the planets, there will be a class led by Dr. Wes on Tuesday, January 21st titled “The Ever-Changing Sky”. Additional class topics are available throughout January and February with registration available via the website (www.cincinnatiobservatory.org).
ABOUT THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY
The Cincinnati Observatory is known as ‘The Birthplace of American Astronomy.’ It houses one of the oldest working telescopes in the world and was the first public observatory in the western hemisphere. Visit www.cincinnatiobservatory.org for more details.
