How To View The Lunar Occultation of Mars in January 2025

What you need to know

On Monday, January 13th, 2025, there will be a Lunar Occultation of Mars. During this celestial event, our Moon will eclipse Mars, completely blocking it from view.

When Can YOU View this Event?

The upcoming Lunar Occultation of Mars will begin on Monday, January 13th (for most viewers), with the total event lasting for approximately 1 hour. The total duration of the occultation, as well as the angle of approach and retreat, will differ depending on your location.

This event is of particular interest as it will occur just before Mars reaches opposition, the point where it is closest to Earth. This means the Mars will appear larger and brighter than average, making it an ideal opportunity to capture a stunning photo, video, or timelapse of Mars and the Moon.

occultation

Credit: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan


Viewing Chart

Check out the chart below to see what time this event will be visible in your time zone!

Please note: This event will occur at slightly different times depending on your latitude and longitude. The chart below lists the times for the nearest major city with each time zone. For exact times, use a celestial simulator like Stellarium. Additionally, the following event times are set to to a 24hr clock, which is useful for tracking planets and other celestial bodies. This standard is especially important for those using Celestron NexStar+ and Star Sense Hand Controllers or other astrophotography equipment.

Time Zones
Approach
Occultation Begins
Occultation Ends
Retreat
Seattle
(UTC-8)
Tucson
(UTC-7)
Denver
(UTC-7)
Chicago
(UTC-6)
NYC
(UTC-5)
Hamilton
(UTC-4)
St. John's
(UTC-3.5)
Praia
(UTC-1)
Senegal
(UTC)
Lagos
(UTC+1)
Jan. 13th
18:21:36
Jan. 13th
18:47:17
Jan. 13th
18:56:05
Jan. 13th
20:06:30
Jan. 13th
21:19:58
Jan. 13th
22:39:56
Jan. 13th
23:27:14
Jan. 14th
03:25:56
Jan. 14th
04:33:18
Jan. 14th
05:52:18
Jan. 13th
18:23:08
Jan. 13th
18:48:17
Jan. 13th
18:57:05
Jan. 13th
20:07:30
Jan. 13th
21:20:58
Jan. 13th
22:40:56
Jan. 13th
23:28:14
Jan. 14th
03:26:56
Jan. 14th
04:34:18
Jan. 14th
05:53:18
Jan. 13th
18:37:44
Jan. 13th
19:46:29
Jan. 13th
19:55:51
Jan. 13th
21:15:33
Jan. 13th
22:35:56
Jan. 13th
23:47:32
Jan. 14th
00:34:56
Jan. 14th
04:29:39
Jan. 14th
05:38:32
Jan. 14th
06:48:50
Jan. 13th
18:39:16
Jan. 13th
19:47:29
Jan. 13th
19:56:51
Jan. 13th
21:15:33
Jan. 13th
22:36:56
Jan. 13th
23:48:32
Jan. 14th
00:35:56
Jan. 14th
04:30:39
Jan. 14th
05:39:32
Jan. 14th
06:49:50

What will the Moon and Mars look like?

During the Lunar Occultation of Mars, the Moon eclipses Mars, causing it to disappear from view. Since Mar's is many millions of miles further from us than our Moon, it appears many times smaller. So, when the Moon passes between Mars and Earth, it blocks Mars from view. If viewed with a pair of binoculars or telescope, you can see Mars gradually move behind the Moon, then reappear on the other side approximately an hour later.

Lunar occultation approach Click to Enlarge Image

Created with Stellarium

Lunar occultation retreat Click to Enlarge Image

Created with Stellarium

Lunar photographers and astrophotographers should take note of this event as it will be an excellent chance to capture a stunning photo or timelapse of a uncommon celestial event! If you want to learn more about photographing the Moon and the planets, check out our Planetary Imaging Guide and Lunar Imaging Guide.


Learn More About the Universe!

What is a lunar occultation, and how often do they occur? If you want to know the answers to these questions and more, dive into our AstronomyHub! Our AstronomyHub is constantly growing with more articles, guides, and so much more! Check out a curated list of our best Lunar Eclipse Articles below!


Click the arrow above to see MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style citations.

MLA:

Daniel Burchett. "Night Sky Alert: Lunar Occultation of Mars," AstronomyHub, High Point Scientific, 13 Jan. 2025, https://www.highpointscientific.com/astronomy-hub/post/lunar-occultation-of-mars-january-2025


APA:

Burchett, D. (2025, January 6). Night Sky Alert: Lunar Occultation of Mars. High Point Scientific. https://www.highpointscientific.com/astronomy-hub/post/lunar-occultation-of-mars-january-2025


Chicago Manual of Style:

Bibliography:

Daniel Burchett "Night Sky Alert: Lunar Occultation of Mars," AstronomyHub (blog), High Point Scientific, January 13th, 2025. https://www.highpointscientific.com/astronomy-hub/post/lunar-occultation-of-mars-january-2025

Footnote:

Daniel Burchett "Night Sky Alert: Lunar Occultation of Mars," AstronomyHub, High Point Scientific, January 13th, 2025, https://www.highpointscientific.com/astronomy-hub/post/lunar-occultation-of-mars-january-2025

Learn More

Interested in diving deeper into the world of astronomy and astrophotography? Not sure where to begin? Check out our Astronomy Hub!

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