How to see Mars disappear behind the Moon on 8 December
There is a magnificent sight to behold this week – but you will need to set your alarm clock. In the early hours of Thursday, Mars will disappear completely behind the full moon, an event known as an occultation.
Throughout the preceding evening, on Wednesday, the moon will inch its way closer to Mars in the night sky. At about 4.58am GMT on Thursday, Mars will disappear behind the moon's western hemisphere. It will reappear about an hour later from behind the eastern limb.
Across the UK, the timing could vary by several minutes depending upon where exactly you are located.
More: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/dec/05/how-to-see-mars-behind-moon-8-december-uk-occultation
Did anyone catch this event? Here, the sky was clear until about half an hour before the occultation. I looked out at about 03:30, and saw Mars a bit over a Moon's diameter away from the Moon, but then the clouds rolled in...
Only visually. The Moon and Mars set behind trees from my garden so no way to image or observe properly through a telescope unless I walked out onto the street...saw from a bathroom window! Freezing weather but decent seeing. May image Mars over the next few days if I don't freeze first.
Roberto
Saw the Moon approaching Mars at around 12.30 but didn't stay up to watch the occultation. a) too cold and too late and b) Was a bit unwell so not really up to it. My son photographed it on his smartphone as best he could.
Carole
APOD: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221209.html