If you’ve been keeping an eye on Mars as it nears its opposition on January 16, 2025. Probably noticed its intricate glow lighting up in the night sky.

Vanshika Jain 

A rare celestial event revealed for stargazers across the United States– a lunar occultation in which Mars visualizes to diminish behind the Moon, only to reemerge moments later on the other side. 

The memorable event was apparent across nearly all of the continental US but continued out of sight for observers in Europe.

To observe the occultation effectively, one should first identify the bright full Moon, locate the radiant Mars positioned just to its east, and patiently monitor as the event progresses.

The timing of the occultation demonstrated variability across various regions in the United States, attributed to lunar parallax.

Lunar parallax, due to Moon’s proximity to Earth, results in a perceptible displacement of Mars's position relative to the Moon depending on the observer’s geographic location

This process describes why the event was visible in the US but not in Europe, where Mars only came close to the Moon without disappearing behind it

For best observation, binoculars were advised on the visibility of Mars as it vanished behind the Moon.