Here are the photos of last night's near-occultation of Mars by the Moon. Mars is the "star" directly below the Moon in the close-ups. Lunar halo photos are also included here because there were low and thin clouds passing in front of the Moon as the skies were clearing from a prior rain event.

While it was a near-occultation around southern New England, it was an occultation over much of the CONUS (continental United States). While lunar occultations are not rare per se, this one was of a particular rare interest because the planet Mars was also at opposition meaning Mars is directly opposite the Sun in the sky and therefore, Mars went from being a morning star to being an evening star. Click on images to enlarge.

Event seen from home in Quincy, MA.

Page created December 13, 2022.