Moon Moves toward Mars

On Tuesday evening, December 17, the bright, 90%-illuminated moon will shine a short distance above (or celestial WNW of) the prominent reddish dot of Mars. The moon and the reddish planet will be close enough to share the view in binoculars, which will also show the widely scattered stars of the Beehive Cluster below Mars. As they cross the sky together all night long, the moon will move closer to Mars, and will actually occult the planet for observers located at far northern latitudes. In the Americas, the moon will be positioned very closely above the planet as they sink into the west around sunrise on Wednesday morning.