Moon And Mars To Form Celestial Triangle With Jupiter, Says Jeddah Astronomy Society

This Wednesday, the crescent moon will be visible near Mars in the pre-dawn sky. The two celestial bodies will be about five degrees apart, forming a triangle with Jupiter, which can be seen without any special equipment.

Eng. Majed Abu Zahra from the Jeddah Astronomy Society informed the Saudi Press Agency that both the moon and Mars will be visible towards the eastern horizon before sunrise. Although they are too far apart to be viewed together through a telescope, binoculars can still capture them together.

Abu Zahra noted that Mars’ brightness should be monitored regularly to observe its significant changes leading up to its opposition in mid-January 2025. The planet's variations in brightness and distinct red color make it an interesting object to watch in the night sky.

Mars is much smaller than Jupiter, with a diameter of 6,790 kilometers compared to Jupiter’s 140,000 kilometers. This size difference means over 20 Mars-sized planets could fit across Jupiter, which appears bright due to its large size.

Abu Zahra explained that because Mars orbits the sun farther out than Earth, their distance constantly changes. Mars appears bright at times because it orbits the sun slower than Earth. While Earth completes its orbit in one year, Mars takes about two Earth years.

Understanding Mars' Opposition

Mars’ opposition occurs every two years and 50 days when Earth passes between Mars and the sun. This event makes Mars particularly bright and easier to observe from Earth.

The variations in brightness and distinct red color of this planet make it fascinating to observe it in the night sky.

The crescent moon's proximity to reddish Mars this Wednesday offers a unique opportunity for sky watchers. Despite their distance making telescope viewing difficult, binoculars provide an excellent alternative for observing these celestial objects together.

With inputs from SPA