Mars and the Moon meet tonight, as the Red Planet approaches its closest point to Earth

Mars and the Moon meet in the night sky, as the Red Planet has been making its closest approach to Earth for years

  • Mars and the Moon meet starting at 11:35 PM ET on Friday
  • Earth is preparing to pass between Mars and the Sun to bring the planets closer
  • Those who live in South America will see the moon and Mars lining up for a mysterious one
  • This month also brings the Blue Moon and Orinoid meteor showers

Mars and the Moon are slated to make a show tonight that it’s out of this world.

The red planet is making its closest approach to Earth, and when the lunar orb rises, the two will appear dangling close to each other in the night sky.

The pairing starts at 11:35 PM ET on Friday, October 2, with the closest approach seen just after midnight.

Both will appear in the east, but then move west as the night progresses and at around 2 a.m. ET, the pair will reach their highest points in the southern sky.

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Mars and the Moon are slated to make a show tonight that it’s out of this world. The red planet is making its closest approach to Earth, and when the lunar orb rises, the two will appear dangling close to each other in the night sky.

to me EarthSkyThose who live in the southernmost region of the world will see the moon closest to Mars.

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Those who live in South America will witness the mysterious moon, or cover Mars for some Friday night and every Saturday night.

The reason for the meeting of Mars and the Moon is due to the Earth’s preparation to forge its way between the red planet and the sun on October 13th.

Mars and Earth come close to each other every two years.

The pairing starts at 11:35 PM ET on Friday, October 2, with the closest approach seen just after midnight.  In the photo, an event was taken in 2003. A powerful telescope managed to capture an image of the surface of the moon and Mars hanging near it

The pairing starts at 11:35 PM ET on Friday, October 2, with the closest approach seen just after midnight. In the photo, an event was taken in 2003. A powerful telescope managed to capture an image of the surface of the moon and Mars hanging near it

This is because Mars orbits the Sun every 26 months, compared to Earth 12 – but the distance between them varies each time.

This leads Mars into a “ biennial ” opposition in our sky, reports EarthSky, and will arrive in opposition on October 14.

The brightness that Mars gives will not be seen for another 15 years.

October is full of cosmic wonders, with stargazers preparing to relish this month when hundreds of photographic stars light up the sky during the Orionid meteor shower.

These meteorites sprinkle across the sky every October, from November 2 to 7 – but the peak sightings are expected on the morning of October 21.

This cosmic event occurs when Earth passes through a stream of debris left by Comet Halley – the main comet of the Orionid shower.

Astronomers note that meteorites can move at a speed of 148,000 miles per hour in the atmosphere, but they leave gaseous traces in the sky that last for a few seconds.

NASA considers the Orionids to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year, which can be seen in the northern and southern hemispheres after midnight.

This month also comes with a rare blue moon that will be visible in all time zones.

Our lunar neighbor will not shine blue, but the name is given because it is the second full moon to appear in the same month – the first occurs on October 1.

The cosmic parade occurs seven times every 19 years, which means that the world will not see the next show on October 31 until 2039.

What makes this event even rarer is that it will appear worldwide for the first time since World War II.

People in North and South America will get a glimpse of a blue moon, along with those in India, Europe and Asia.

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