What will happens tonight as Mars hides behind moon

The New Year 2023 starts with a very rare event of a planet being hidden by the Moon. On Tuesday, January 03 bright red Mars will be hidden behind the Moon for nearly two hours when the almost full Moon passes in front of the red planet from 10:15 pm upto midnight.

At 10:24 PM Mars will be covered up by the lower right edge of the Moon. After nearly one and a half hours just after midnight Mars will again reappear from lower left edge of the Moon at 12:04 AM. The Moon will eclipse Mars during this time.

The map shows this event can be seen from countries in the southern half of Africa, including eastern, central
and southern Africa.

The diagrams show the how Mars will first be seen at one edge of the Moon from 10:15 PM and reappear at the opposite edge just after midnight.

Such an event is very rare to be seen especially at a time when people are still up and can see Moon covering up Mars for nearly two hours.

You do not need a telescope to enjoy this rare sight.

Mars is now very bright red so it can be easily identified near the Moon as a bright red star from sunset onwards.

Mars is currently at opposition with the Sun in its orbit so we see the full face of Mars lit by the Sun, which makes it extremely bright and with its red colour it cannot be missed since on January 03, it will also be close to the Moon.

Soon after sunset, from 7 PM, there is also a great sight to be seen in the sky with four planets and Moon lined up from East to West, starting with Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars close to the Moon. Venus will have just entered the evening sky and is very bright close to the sunset horizon and Saturn will be above it in mid-sky facing East. Above Saturn, near to overhead Jupiter you will see very bright Jupiter.

Further beyond overhead and in the western sky will be the Moon with bright red Mar close to it. Occultations occur because the Moon shifts along the line of the planets called the ecliptic hence it can cover up the planets. Three hours after sunset, on January 03, the occultation event will happen when the Moon slides in front of Mars.

When observing the occultation, you are actually seeing the movement of the Moon moving in the sky as it covers up Mars then moves away after a few hours. A sight worth observing as you imagine what is actually happening out there in space.

Also watch out for an observing event through a telescope on 03 January 2023.