Mars will disappear behind the full moon on Wednesday night

Similar to an eclipse, the moon will block out Mars in what the Adler Planetarium says is a "rare astronomical event."

Photo byrichter1910/Depositphotos.com

(CHICAGO) Mars is at its peak brightness this week, making its disappearance and reappearance behind the moon a captivating sight.

It's called an occultation, and just like an eclipse, only certain areas of the world will get a good view. The Chicago area is lucky as northern Illinois will be a prime spot for viewing Mars' "disappearance."

When does the occultation occur?

If you want to watch the lunar show, look up at the night sky on Wednesday evening, December 7, 2022. You should be able to see the moon and Mars in the northeast sky.

Shortly after 9 PM, Mars will appear to go behind the moon. An hour later, it will reappear on the other side.

If you can't get outside or live outside of the viewing area, the astronomers at the Adler Planetarium will live stream the show here.

What is the viewing area for the occultation?

According to Space.com, the Mars event will be seen in much of North America, Europe, and some parts of North Africa on December 7 and 8.

A full "Cold Moon"

Wednesday is also the night of December's full moon. The Farmer's Almanac says it was named the "Cold Moon" because this is the month cold weather begins to set in.

The Almanac explains the names we give full moons come from "Native American, Colonial American, or other traditional sources passed down through generations."

Other names for December's full moon include:

• Drift Clearing Moon
• Frost Exploding Trees MoonMoon of the Popping Trees
• Hoar Frost Moon
• Snow Moon
• Winter Maker Moon

What else is happening this month?

This is a busy month for the Chicago sky. Winter solstice is on December 21, when the sun will trace its lowest path, giving us the shortest day of the year.

Other celestial events include:

Planet parade: According to the Planetarium, Chicagoans with a clear sight line to the southwest horizon in the last week of December may be able to see the rare event of five planets visible to the naked eye viewable at the same time.

Geminids meteor shower: The meteor shower peaks on the night of December 13 through the early hours of December 14 and is viewable in the Chicago area.

You can check it all out on the Adler Planetarium's Skywatch.

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