The night from Wednesday to Thursday will be magical for astronomy enthusiasts, since the opposition of Mars will take place.
This is an extremely rare sight since it is the Moon that will occult the red planet at the very moment when it is in opposition.
Opposition occurs every 26 months when Mars, Earth, and Sun lie on the same line.
Adding a layer of rarity to tonight’s celestial phenomenon, the Martian opposition of the year occurs at the same time as the full moon.
So tonight, Mars and the Moon will be in the same region of the sky, opposite the Sun, and the Moon will even eclipse the Red Planet for regarding 45 minutes.
The phenomenon should begin around 10:40 p.m. and will be observable for all Quebec astronomy enthusiasts.
Simple binoculars or spotting scopes should allow you to observe this rare phenomenon, weather permitting.
