# Tonight's lunar occulation of Mars **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 13, 2025, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935 "2025-01-13T22:18:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/1 "2025-01-13T22:18:38Z")
[https://www.space.com/stargazing/the-full-wolf-moon-eats-mars-on-jan-13-heres-how-to-see-it](https://www.space.com/stargazing/the-full-wolf-moon-eats-mars-on-jan-13-heres-how-to-see-it) Good news is that it will pretty much cover the entire lower 48 on its path, and the moon will be very high in the sky. So far the forecast cloud cover here in Cleveland is holding off. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/2 "2025-01-13T22:43:05Z")
**Moderating** Looks like this was accidentally posted in the wrong place. Moved from Site Feedback to MPSIMS. If you wanted it somewhere else, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/3 "2025-01-13T23:03:58Z")
Prettu sure there will be cloud cover ( east of Cleveland). Is that Venus in the night, north sky after sunset? I’ve never seen it that bright. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/4 "2025-01-13T23:13:10Z")
Yes, is indeed at or near maximum brightness. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/5 "2025-01-13T23:13:51Z")
It amazed me! Also a full wolf moon just happened. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/6 "2025-01-13T23:43:33Z")
Looks like it will be excellent viewing in the Triangle this evening! I was able to get a preview on the way home. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/7 "2025-01-14T02:23:12Z")
I lost sight of Mars at the last minute, since the full moon was so bright. I didn’t dare aim my binoculars at the moon; I don’t think they would help. I remember a Venus occultation in the 1980s. It started right about dawn, so the moon was a small crescent. When Venus reappeared an hour or so later, it was from behind the dark part of the moon, so Venus just popped into existence. That was cool. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/8 "2025-01-14T02:26:00Z")
I had Stellarium set to the wrong time zone (I have no idea how that happened), so I missed the occultation, but I’ll try to get a photo as Mars exits, almost precisely at 8pm local time. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/9 "2025-01-14T02:26:56Z")
Thin clouds, but thick enough that I couldn’t spy Mars thru my binocs. Oh well welcome to Cleveland in the winter… ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/10 "2025-01-14T02:58:49Z")
Not NASA-worthy, but… [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/lUfGLIH.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/lUfGLIH) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/11 "2025-01-14T03:18:43Z")
I went back outside to try again, with some more attention to focus. Mars was much farther away, but sharper: [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/lfzElkg.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/lfzElkg) ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/12 "2025-01-14T04:03:34Z")
Wow, beowulff, those are great photos! We were supposed to have clear skies today, but it stayed cloudy. Now I know why: any time there’s something cool to see up ther–northern lights, a harvest moon–the clouds keep us from seeing it. Party poopers. That’s why I’m so appreciative of excellent photos like those. Thanks for posting them! ETA: Great photos of the moon _and_ Mars. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/13 "2025-01-14T19:41:21Z")
I had no previous knowledge. I just looked up at the moon and said to my wife, “you know, I bet that’s Mars right next to it!” A clearly red pinpoint, that somehow didn’t twinkle like a star. I’m proud of myself that I was right. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2025, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonights-lunar-occulation-of-mars/1012935/14 "2025-01-15T00:58:49Z")
Sweet photos, **beowulff**!