The moon and Mars appear together for the second time during the month on October 29, 2020.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
For the second time during October and two evenings before the rare Halloween Full Moon, the moon and Mars appear together during early evening hours.
Begin looking about two hours after sunset when the pair is about one-third of the way up in the sky in the east-southeast.
At that time, Mars is nearly 30° up in the east-southeast, 4.8° to the upper right of the moon.
Follow them into the evening sky. During the night the moon moves farther away from Mars as the lunar orb is moving toward the east compared to Mars and the starry background. By the next morning, the moon is nearly 8° from Mars in the western sky.
Read more about the planets during October.
2021, October 29 – November 1, Lion Moon
October 29 – November 1, 2021: The crescent moon moves in front of the stars of Leo in the eastern sky before sunrise. Watch the moon appear lower and the phase shrink (wane) each morning. Also note that there is no Full moon on Halloween this year!
2021, October 26-28: Morning Gemini Moon
October 26, 27, and 28, 2021: During the early morning hours, the bright gibbous moon appears in front of Gemini’s stars.
2021, October 26: Speedy Mercury’s Morning Best
October 26, 2021: Mercury is at its greatest morning appearance for the year. Look low in the east-southeast before sunrise.
2021, October 25: Caught Between the Horns
October 25, 2021: This morning the bright gibbous moon seems to be caught between the horns of Taurus. Mercury is making its best morning appearance. The planet pack – Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are in the evening sky.
2021, October 24: Saturn Inches Toward Jupiter
October 24, 2021: Saturn is at its closest to Jupiter as the Jovian Giant picks up eastward speed. The morning moon and Mercury are visible before sunrise. Brilliant Evening Star Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter are in the sky after sunset.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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