On the night of October 2-3, 2020, the moon appears near Mars.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Mars appears with the moon on two nights during October 2020, the night of October 2-3 and October 29.
On the evening of October 2-3, look for the moon about two hours after sunset in the eastern sky. The bright moon is nearly 16 days past its new phase and 98% illuminated.
Planet is is the bright star that is 1.7° to the upper left of the lunar orb.
As the night unfolds, the pair seems to move westward as Earth rotates. They appear in the southern sky about 2 a.m. CDT on October 3. As the new day progresses, the pair is in the western sky.
About an hour before sunrise, they are about one-third of the way up in the sky in the west-southwest. At this time, the moon is 2.8° to the upper left of the Red Planet.
During the night, the moon moves slowly eastward as Mars inches westward compared to its starfield.
Read more about the planets during October.
2021, November 7: Venus, Moon Conjunction
November 7, 2021: During the early evening Venus and the moon group together in the southwest.
2021, November 6: Autumn’s Midpoint
November 6, 2021: The midpoint of Autumn occurs today.
2021, November 3: Unusual Mercury, Crescent Moon Spectacular
November 3, 2021: Before sunrise speedy planet Mercury, the crescent moon, and the star Spica are grouped together. The trio does not appear this close together again until 2033.
2021, October 31: NO Halloween Full Moon
October 31, 2021: There is no Halloween Full moon this year, and the phase is not close. The crescent moon is in the morning sky. Mercury is low in the east-southeast before sunrise. The planet pack – Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter – gleam in the evening sky.
2021, October 29: Venus, Greatest Elongation
October 29, 2021: Venus reaches its greatest elongation from the sun. It is in the evening sky with Jupiter and Saturn. The crescent moon and Mercury are in the eastern sky before sunrise.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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