Moon, Mars, Regulus to form celestial triangle: How to watch
What's the story
This weekend, the celestial bodies will put on a spectacular show for stargazers. The waxing crescent Moon will align with Mars and the bright star Regulus in the hours after sunset today. The event will be visible from the US, providing an excellent opportunity for astronomy enthusiasts to witness this unique alignment.
Alignment
How to spot the trio?
The celestial trio will grace the western horizon after sunset, with the crescent Moon appearing about 20 degrees above. Within an hour of sunset, Mars and Regulus will align to the upper left of the lunar disk. This alignment will be a brief but beautiful sight as all three celestial bodies will set below the horizon just three hours later.
Occultation
Moon will sweep underneath Mars tomorrow
Tomorrow, the waxing Moon will move to the lower right of Mars, its crescent shape appearing to sweep beneath the Red Planet. The two will come within one degree of each other before disappearing below the western horizon. To note, this is not an occultation for most viewers. An occultation, where one celestial body passes in front of another, will only be visible from specific regions.
Visibility
Lunar occultation of Mars
The lunar occultation of Mars will be visible from parts of Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Clipperton Island. It can be seen after 6:57pm EDT tomorrow (4:27am IST on June 30).