CANCELED FOR WEATHER: Dec 7, Moon Eclipsing Mars!

Sorry Folks, this event is canceled.

CANCELED: The weather forecast is for overcast and rain, so we are cancelling the event. You can watch one of the live streams listed at Space.com:
https://www.space.com/mars-opposition-lunar-occultation-watch-online-dec-2022

On the evening of Dec 7, 2022, our silvery Moon will occult (eclipse) Mars during Mars’ opposition (closest approach to Earth). These occultations are fairly rare and a wonder to behold! Weather permitting, the South Plains Astronomy Club will hold a free public star party at Lubbock Lake Landmark from 7 to 10 pm. (Map at the bottom of the article.)

From 7:00pm to approximately 8:30, we will view Mars, the Moon, and other objects. Around 8:30, we will turn all of our scopes to the Mars occultation, with first contact at 8:42 pm and disappearance at 8:43. We’ll resume looking at other objects until about 9:20. Mars reappears at 9:31pm and leaves the Moon at 9:32pm. It will take about a minute for the Moon to move across Mars’ disk.

2022-12-07 Mars 1st contact – 8:41:44 pm Touching the Moon as seen from Lubbock	2022-12-07 Mars 2nd Contact 8:42:44 PM Disappearing behind the Moon as seen from Lubbock
2022-12-07 Mars 3rd contact – 9:31:17 pm Reappearance of Mars as seen from Lubbock	2022-12-07 Mars 4th contact – 9:32:07 pm Touching the Moon as seen from Lubbock

A Mars occultation by the Moon is a relatively rare event and the alignment is remarkable when you consider that:

• The Moon’s is only 1/2° wide as seen from Earth. (A pea held at arm’s length.)
• Mars is roughly 25″ or 0.0070° wide as seen from Earth.
• The Earth orbits the Sun once a year, while Mars is double that at 687 days.
• Mars oppositions (closest approach) only happens every 780 days, so much of the two-year span, Mars is much more distant and half the size with few details visible.
• The Moon shifts up to 2° against the background stars as it travels between eastern and western horizons.
• The Moon’s orbit is tilted 5° with respect to Earth’s orbit.
• The Earth’s axis is tilted 23° to its orbit.
• For half the day, the Moon is not visible from your location.
• Only 30% of the Earth is land and much of that land is uninhabited or sparsely populated.

As you can see, it takes quite a convergence for a Mars occultation to happen over your home during opposition! If you’re not in the Lubbock area, you can find the nearest large city in this list from the International Occultation Timing Association for your area.

Mars is as a dot to the naked eye, so you can see it unaided, but you’ll get a much better view in binoculars or a telescope! We hope you have the chance to take a look at the occultation on the 7th, or better yet, come out and view this event through our telescopes at Lubbock Lake Landmark. If you join us, be sure to dress warmly! Here is a map to the site:

We would like to thank Lubbock Lake Landmark staff and Texas Tech University for hosting us on the grounds!