Get ready for a rare stargazing treat on February 9, 2025. The Red Planet Mars will be positioned just below the nearly-full Moon in the night sky, making for a spectacular naked-eye sight. This alignment is one of the month’s best opportunities to observe Mars and the Moon together.
The Moon’s monthly movement around the sky causes it to change position relative to the rest of the night sky every week. In contrast, stars and planets appear relatively stable. As a result, the Moon often passes close to each planet. On February 9, Mars will be about 20 arcminutes south of the Moon’s center.
If you plan to observe or photograph Mars near the Moon tonight, you’ll have the chance to capture both lunar details and Mars in the same frame. Although not as dramatic as a lunar occultation, where Mars disappears behind the Moon entirely, this alignment offers an exciting opportunity for stunning images of the Moon’s edge and Mars’ disc.
Mars will appear around 12 arcseconds across due to its recent opposition in January 2025. The Moon is close to full on February 12 and has a diameter of about 24 arcminutes. You can enjoy this view with binoculars or a low- to mid-power telescope, but be aware that lunar parallax may reduce the separation for those observing from further north.
If you’re in northern Scandinavia or Iceland on February 9, you’ll witness a rare lunar occultation of Mars. Share your observations and photos by emailing [email protected] if you catch this special event.
Source: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/mars-moon-february-2025