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Credit & Copyright: Tomas Slovinsky  
  
 
Explanation:
On  
December 8  
a full Moon and a full Mars were close,  
both bright and opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky.  
  
In fact  
Mars was occulted, passing behind the Moon when  
viewed from some locations across Europe and North America.   
  
Seen from the city of Kosice in eastern Slovakia,  
the lunar occultation of Mars happened just before sunrise.  
  
The tantalizing  
spectacle  
was recorded in this telescopic timelapse  
sequence of exposures.  
  
It took about an hour for the  
Red Planet to disappear behind the   
lunar disk and  
then reappear as a  
warm-hued full Moon,  
the last full Moon of 2022, sank toward the western horizon.  
  
The next lunar occultation of bright planet Mars will be in the new year  
on January 3, when the Moon is in a waxing gibbous phase.  
  
Lunar occultations  
are only ever visible from a fraction of the  
Earth's surface, though.  
  
The January 3 occultation  
of Mars will be visible from parts of the  
South Atlantic, southern Africa, and the Indian Ocean.  
  
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Moon - Mars
Publications with words: Moon - Mars
See also:
- APOD: 2025 September 28 Á Leopard Spots on Martian Rocks
- APOD: 2025 August 23 Á Fishing for the Moon
- APOD: 2025 July 20 Á Lunar Nearside
- APOD: 2025 July 15 Á Collapse in Hebes Chasma on Mars
- APOD: 2025 July 6 Á The Spiral North Pole of Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 29 Á Dark Sand Cascades on Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 28 Á Lunar Farside
