The Moon passes 1.4° north of Mars at 6 A.M. EDT; the two are visible together this evening, slowly setting in the western sky and visible for a few hours after sunset. Both now lie in western Leo, with the Moon close to the Lion’s bright heart, Regulus (Alpha [α] Leonis). This magnitude 1.4 star lies some 79 light-years away, making it one of the relatively closer star systems to our Sun. And it is indeed a system of stars: Regulus is a quadruple star. Amateur scopes can generally capture three of the stars in this system, with one companion some 175” away.
Mars lies about 8.5° west of the Moon and Regulus, closer to the border of Leo and Cancer. The Red Planet now shines at magnitude 1.2, a bit brighter than Regulus, and gives off a ruddy glow true to its name. Through a telescope, Mars spans just 5”. Any view of its surface features will be fairly impossible for some time, until our orbits bring us closer together late next year.
Sunrise: 5:33 A.M.
Sunset: 8:23 P.M.
Moonrise: 11:14 A.M.
Moonset: 12:51 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (36%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
