Celestial Event: This Wednesday, the crescent moon will be visible near Mars in the pre-dawn sky, forming a triangle with Jupiter. The moon and Mars will be about five degrees apart.
Observation Details: The best viewing will be toward the eastern horizon before sunrise. While the objects are too distant to observe together through a telescope, binoculars will allow a clear view.
Mars' Characteristics: Mars will appear bright due to its red color and is approaching its opposition in January 2025. Its size is significantly smaller than Jupiter, and its brightness varies due to its slower orbit around the sun.
Jeddah, August 27, 2024 – This Wednesday, skywatchers in Jeddah will have the chance to observe a beautiful celestial event as the crescent moon will make an appearance near the reddish planet Mars in the pre-dawn sky. The moon and Mars will be positioned about five degrees apart, creating a picturesque celestial triangle with Jupiter, which will be visible to the naked eye.
Eng. Majed Abu Zahra from the Jeddah Astronomy Society shared with the Saudi Press Agency that the best time to view this alignment will be toward the eastern horizon before sunrise. While the separation between the moon and Mars is too great for a detailed view through a telescope, enthusiasts can catch a glimpse of both objects together using binoculars.
Abu Zahra highlighted that Mars’ brightness and its noticeable red hue make it an intriguing object for observation, especially as it approaches its opposition, scheduled for mid-January 2025. During opposition, Mars will be particularly bright and prominent in the night sky.
He elaborated on the differences in size between Mars and Jupiter, noting that Mars has a diameter of approximately 6,790 kilometers, which is significantly smaller compared to Jupiter’s 140,000 kilometers. This size difference means that over 20 Mars-sized planets could fit across Jupiter's diameter. Jupiter’s brightness is attributed to its massive size, while Mars, which orbits the sun farther out than Earth, shows varying brightness levels.
Mars takes about two Earth years to complete one orbit around the sun, compared to Earth’s one-year orbit. This slower orbit contributes to periodic brightness changes and makes Mars particularly interesting to observe during its opposition phases.