It will be much closer to Earth than it will be again until 2033
During the next few days of this December, fans of following astronomical phenomena will enjoy the best view of Mars, when it reaches the closest distance to Earth, which will not be reached before 2033.
Astronomical calculations by the National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research in Egypt indicate that the planet Mars will meet the Sun and the Earth on December 8, when it reaches its closest point to the Earth (less than 80 million km), and in the evening there will be an additional scene, when the last full moon of 2022, which is the full moon of December, which is called the “cold moon”, moves in front of Mars, so that the planet disappears behind it , in a phenomenon called “occultation”.
And the “cold moon” is the name given in North America to the full moon in December. Because it’s the time of year when cold air causes the temperature to drop.
Ashraf Shaker, head of the astronomy department at the National Research Institute for Astronomy and Geophysics, told Asharq Al-Awsat: ‘The time of the occultation phenomenon varies depending on the location and will last for about an hour, after which the planet appears, and this will be a unique opportunity for enthusiasts to follow astronomical phenomena, where they will then be able to capture images of the red disk of Mars near the surface of the moon.
Shaker adds: “Such phenomena are not very useful in astronomical research, but announcing them is an opportunity to create astronomical awareness among the public on the one hand, and it is also desirable for those interested in documenting these events through photographs, especially when they are associated with a planet, still does not raise many questions.
The planet, half the size of Earth, has a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere, summer temperatures of a maximum of 20 degrees Celsius, and winters at the poles of minus 130 degrees Celsius.
Despite these conditions, Mars continues to fascinate astronomers and planetary scientists, who see it as one of the places in the solar system where life may have originated and may still exist.
More than one astronomical observatory around the world has announced the opportunity for astronomical enthusiasts to follow Mars’ occultation behind the moon live, including the University of Texas “McDonald” Observatory in Austin, where the observatory broadcasts a live broadcast of the “occultation” phenomenon on December 8, at 9:00 am.
