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, April 21: Evening Star Venus, Gibbous Moon, Mars
April 21, 2021: Evening Star is making its first appearance in the west-northwest shortly after sunset. The gibbous moon is near Leo, while Mars is near the foot of Castor.
2021, April 21: Morning Planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Capricornus
April 21, 2021: Jupiter and Saturn are the bright morning planets in the southeast before sunrise. The stars are in front of the backdrop of Capricornus. The constellation looks like an oversized boomerang or stealth fighter.
2021, April 20: Venus, Gibbous Moon, Mars, Evening Wonders
April 20, 2021: Venus is very low in the west-northwest after sunset. The gibbous moon is in Cancer, between Regulus and Pollux. Mars, above the horns of Taurus, approaches the star cluster Messier 35.
2021, April 20: Bright Jupiter, Saturn, Morning Planets
April 20, 2021: Bright Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeastern sky before sunrise, gently moving eastward compared to the starry backdrop of Capricornus.
2021, April 19: First Evening Appearance of Venus
April 19, 2021: The first evening appearance of Venus for this apparition occurs this evening. Look for it low in the west-northwest about 20 minutes after sunset.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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