Overview
- Skywatchers on Sunday, Aug. 9 saw a 17% illuminated crescent moon close to Mars in the eastern predawn sky, with the Moon rising roughly four hours before sunrise for New York viewers.
- Mars appeared less than 5 degrees to the Moon’s lower right, a separation small enough for both objects to fit together in a 10×50 binocular field of view.
- Observers could notice earthshine lighting the Moon’s dark side, a faint glow caused by sunlight reflected from Earth that reveals the outlines of lunar plains.
- The pair sat among Taurus with Orion to the right and Gemini nearby, offering a clear preview of the winter star pattern that will be higher in the sky later this year.
- The Aug. 9 pairing comes days before the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, and reporters including Daisy Dobrijevic and Anthony Wood are positioned to provide live coverage and citizen-science reports.