SPOKANE, Wash. — The day after the full Moon, the Moon will appear extremely close to Mars in the night sky, and for some on Earth, a rare occultation will occur.
From the Spokane area and the rest of the United States, Mars will be about 1 degree of arc-length above the Moon in the southeastern sky after sunset Friday night. That's about the width of a finger held out at arm's length, for a reference point.
While the Moon will obviously shine bright, being just one day after a full moon, Mars is also shining bright. Mars is about to be at opposition, which is the point when Earth and Mars are at their closest point in orbit during the year (on Earth). That date is Oct, 13, and will be when Mars is at its brightest.
For some in southern Africa, the Moon will pass in front of Mars in the sky. This is called an occultation. A lunar occultation happens a couple times each year but is only visible for parts of the Earth, much like an eclipse.
