What we are calling ‘Mars eclipse’ is a very rare phenomenon, which is called lunar occultation. In this a star hides or disappears and then appears behind or from the side of the moon. This is what happened on Wednesday night, when Mars, seen as a star, came out from behind the moon after hiding. During this time the Earth was between Mars and the Sun. Because of this the red planet was shining brightly in the sky.
This is the moment Mars peeked out from behind our moon after being hidden for an hour. This shot was captured using my largest telescope and a special high-speed camera. Seeing another planet rising on the horizon of our moon was such a surreal experience. pic.twitter.com/8IctbVXuUM
— Andrew McCarthy (@AJamesMcCarthy) December 8, 2022
People all over the world saw this special sight on the occasion of full moon. Some great pictures have also come to the fore. The Griffith Observatory in California captured the spectacular view. Sky-watchers are posting gorgeous photos of the lunar occultation on social media.
Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy has also shared a similar picture. This picture also becomes important because Mars comes in this position once in 26 months. The next time such a sight can be seen in January 2025.
This incident is also important because Mars was close to Earth. It was at its perigee, that is, at its closest point to Earth in its orbit. Talk about the shortest distance between Earth and Mars, then in the year 2003, the distance between the two planets was reduced to 56 million kilometers. According to the American space agency NASA, the two planets will not come so close for the next 265 years. This will be possible in the year 2287. Anyway, enjoy these pictures of ‘Mars Eclipse’.
<!–
–>
