With luck (and binoculars), you will see Mars disappear behind the moon tomorrow | Sciences

The red planet and moon will be in the same direction as seen from Earth on Thursday morning. As a result, they seem to converge in the sky. Astronomers call this phenomenon a conjunction.

Plus the full moon on Thursday morning. And because the Earth is not between the Moon and the Sun, it does not cast a shadow on the Moon. Because Mars is so far away, the red planet appears to be passing behind the full moon around 6 am. About an hour later, the planet will be visible again from Earth.

Only in the northwest of the Netherlands are weather conditions so favorable that you can take a good look at the sky, says Jonny Willemsen of Weerplaza. “Thursday morning we have a lot of clouds and rain, especially inland. You have the best chance of clearing in the northwest.”

So whether you can see Mars and the Moon depends on where you are on Thursday morning. “In the north of the Netherlands you have a good chance of seeing it. But in the south you can forget it, there it is completely covered with clouds.”

According to astronomer Rens Waters, those who have a good view of the starry sky are advised to use binoculars or a telescope.

“The moon and Mars are bright enough to see with the naked eye,” explains the astronomer from Radboud University. “But the moon is much closer and therefore bigger and brighter for us.” “When Mars approaches the Moon, the human eye will soon be unable to distinguish between them.”

With an instrument, it is easy to see how Mars passes behind the Moon. “The moon has no atmosphere. As a result, you can see very clearly and sharply where and how Mars slips behind the edge of the moon.”

According to Waters, this phenomenon has no consequences for us on Earth. “It is purely coincidental, that Mars and the Moon follow their orbits precisely and don’t collide. It has no consequences for Earth, except that it looks amazing from here.”