A BLIP ON THE MOON
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John Pazmino
NYSkies Astronomy Inc
nyskies@nyskies.org
www.nyskies.orrg
2022 December 8
Introduction
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For several weeks I reminded NYSkiers about the close miss of Mars
by the Moon quite at the Mars opposition of 2022. In New York the
event was a close bypass with only one arcminute space between Mars
and the south limb of the Moon.
The event in New York occurred about 22:58 EST on December 7th.
Observers south of the City saw a wider miss, a close conjunction.
Those more than a hundred or so kilometers north of the City saw a
brief occultation at he lunar south limb. Along the border between
miss and hit Mars grazed the Moon, playing peek-a-boo with the
mountains on the lunar south limb.
Preparation
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There wasn't much to prepare for. The miss would be visible y eye,
all the way to large telescope. It would be an easy photography
target with just about any camera and optics.
I myself was satisfied with eye and binocular observing because
the Moon was so high in the sky that handling a camera on tripod would
be clumsy.
Clouds!
----
I went outside my house in Brooklyn at quite 22h EST, as chimed by
a radio show just ending.
No Moon! Thin clouds covered the sky!
They were unevenly deep, allowing the Moon to shine thru the
thinner sections. The disc was well defined, no diffusion, but the sky
around her was strongly lighted.
Mars was a little southeast of the Moon, well away to see at first
glance. I took turns by eye and binocs for a couple minutes until
thicker cloud came over the Moon.
The air was calm and actually mild for December, probably 10C in
temperature. I was entirely comfortable in shirt sleeves.
Proximity
-------
I and then my sister went out at 0h,on the cusp of the 8th, as an
other radio show ended. This was just about at proximity.A thinner
patch of cloud let the Moon shine brightly, yet dim enough to see the
major surface markings.
Mars was attached to the Moon!
Neither of us could see any separation between the two. Sister
said it looked like the Moon had a tumor or blip on the lower, south,
side.
To me Mars was plain white, or better, the same color as the
contingent Moon. No reddish tint at all for me. Binoculars showed the
the wo apart and Mars then had something of a yellow tint.
Last look
-----=-
I alone stepped out at 01:15 on the 8th, shortly following the end of
a third radio show. Thicker cloud blocked the mon. A moment wait let a
thin patch pass over the Moon. There was mars, now a bit southwest of
Then after the Moon ran eastward ahead of Mars.
Other opposition conjunctions?
-----------------------------
In the run-up to the Moon-Mars-opposition event astronomers asked
if there were other such instances. I at first thought there would be
few and far occasions.
It turns out that in 2000-2040 there are seven instances of a
Moon-Mars conjunction (with possible occultation in some locations)
near Mars opposition. Here is a list of them, in EST: in New Yor:
--------------------------------------------
23.12.2007 19:00 - 24.12.2007 19:00
29.01.2010 19:00 - 30.01.2010 19:00
21.05.2016 19:00 - 22.05.2016 19:00
27.07.2018 19:00 - 28.07.2018 19:00
07.12.2022 19:00 - 8.12.2022 19:00
20.02.2027 19:00 - 21.02.2027 19:00
16.09.2035 19:00 - 17.09.2035 19:00
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The proximity occurs within the 24h span for each instance. it
could be in daytime, with the Moon blow the horizon.. By nighttime
the Moon may stand a bit east or west of Mars.
For New York the conjunction on 2022 December 7 IS by far the
closest. In all of the others Mars is a couple degrees from Moon,
forming a beautiful conjunction with her.
Mind well that when the Moon is next to Mars at Mars opposition,
the Moon is also in opposition. She is a Full Moon. There can't be a
Mars opposition conjunction with the Moon at any other phase.
Silly science
-----------
A couple news media during the 8th mentioned that the appulse, was
clouded out or was seen thru cloud breaks. They also explained why
Mars on this day was so close to Earth.
The Moon, as well known to just about every one, is close to
Earth. It took the Artemis spacecraft only a few days to get to the
Moon. Since Mars was right next to the Moon,, Mars must also be close
to Earth. Only a few days space flight away!
Conclusion
--------
This was a refreshing show. The air was mild and calm. The clouds
moved quickly to expose the Moon and Mars. Sister and I chatted about
the 'blip on the Moon' for a couple minutes before closing the house
for the night.