With Clear Skies: The Moon and Mars
 | Author:
Jeff Ross
Contributor |
The Moon and Mars Jeff Ross December 7, 2022, could be a magical day for night sky watchers in our area.
First, our Moon will be in its Full phase meaning the lunar disc is completely illuminated. It will rise sometime shortly after 5:00 p.m., depending on how close you are to the Big Belts to the east. From our place, out on Ray Creek, actual Moon rise happens about 15 minutes after the predicted time. Taking a 10-minute break to consciously watch the Full Moon rise over the mountains is always a good thing to do.
You might also notice that when the Full Moon rises above the mountains it looks huge, much bigger than at any other time. This is an optical illusion. You can quickly bring the Moon back down to its correct size by simply holding your hand out at arm's length and bracketing the Moon between your thumb and forefinger. The reason we see the Moon as so much bigger than usual when it is near the horizon has been debated forever. Believe it or not, no single theory has yet won out.
Second, Mars also rises at about the same time as the Moon because it is at opposition, meaning that it is directly opposite us from the Sun. Opposition also means that Mars is at its brightest for the year.
Finally, because of where we live on our planet Earth we will see the Full Moon pass in front of Mars! Beginning at 7:52 p.m. MST the Moon will move in front of Mars and hide it from us until 8:59 p.m. MST. Watching that disappearance and then the reappearance is simply amazing. Do note that there is absolutely no connection between our Moon and Mars; this is just a happy coincidence as to how the celestial objects we can see line up.
With clear skies, of course.
