Moon-Mars conjunction to dazzle skywatchers

SKYWATCHERS are in for a celestial event in the early hours of June 30, when the Moon and Mars will appear unusually close to each other in what astronomers call a conjunction.

- RISHITA KHANNA @Bengaluru

While such alignments between the Moon and planets occur regularly, this particular one stands out for its timing as Mars edges closer to its opposition later this year, gradually becoming brighter in the night sky.

In this phenomenon, in the pre-dawn hours, observers with clear skies may witness a slender crescent Moon paired with the reddish glow of Mars, both positioned in the same region of the sky—separated by just about 3 degrees. Although the two bodies are actually millions of kilometers apart, they will appear side by side from Earth due to a quirk of orbital alignment.