The Moon will "consume" Mars for four hours soon. Find out when you can witness this stunning astronomical event!

With the naked eye, one will be able to observe the occultation of Mars by the Moon, although additional equipment is recommended for better viewing. The red planet will be obscured for 4 hours by Earth's satellite, and this astronomical event is referred to as an occultation, as reported by Live Science.

In astronomy, the term "occultation" describes a phenomenon where, from the perspective of Earth, one celestial object appears larger than a more distant body and thus completely or partially covers it. Most commonly, occultations of stars and other planets in the solar system by the Moon can be observed from Earth.

After sunset on the evening of January 13 and for another 4 hours, the Moon will cover Mars. Interestingly, this occultation will occur while Mars is at opposition, meaning the red planet will be positioned directly opposite the Sun in Earth's sky, with both planets nearly aligned. At this time, Mars will be at its closest point to our planet and will appear very bright.

To clearly view the occultation of Mars by the Moon, binoculars or a small telescope are necessary. Most importantly, it is essential to minimize nearby artificial lighting that could hinder visibility.

On January 13, the Moon will be full, and Earth's satellite will appear visually close to Mars until the morning of January 14.

While the occultation of Mars by the Moon can be seen with the naked eye, as both objects will be very bright, additional equipment is required to observe specific features on their surfaces. In particular, using binoculars or a telescope, one can see the largest craters on both Mars and the Moon.

When Mars is closest to Earth, the northern polar cap of the red planet, which extends for 1000 km, and the Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the solar system, can be clearly observed. Its width is 600 km, and its length is 3000 km.

The next occultation of Mars by the Moon will be visible in February of this year.

It is worth noting that weather conditions and location can affect how well the occultation of Mars by the Moon can be seen.