This week, the moon and Mars come together for a close encounter. So close, in fact, that from certain parts of the world, the moon will actually obscure the planet. The pairing takes place in the zodiacal constellation of Pisces, the fish.
The chart shows the view looking east from London at 23:00 BST on 5 September 2020. The moon will be in its waning gibbous phase, with 87.5% of its surface illuminated. Viewers from around the world will be able to see the pairing rise a few hours after sunset.
From the southern hemisphere, the pairing will be higher in altitude, and positioned in the east-north-eastern sky. The further west you are on 5 September, the closer the moon will appear to be to Mars. From much of South America, skywatchers will even be able to see the moon pass in front of Mars, creating an occultation.
Earth and Mars are currently moving closer together. As a result, Mars is growing in brightness. By mid-October, it will be so close to Earth that it will appear brighter than Jupiter, making it temporarily the fourth brightest object in the sky (after the sun, the moon and Venus).
