The Red Planet stands less than a degree from Leo the Lion’s brightest star in the evening sky tonight.
Mars and Regulus stand within a degree of each other in Leo the Lion on the evening of June 16. Credit: Stellarium
Mars will pass 0.8° north of Regulus at midnight EDT, and both are visible for several hours after sunset for evening observers to enjoy.
In the post-sunset sky, look west to find the two standing close together, with Mars just to the upper right of Regulus. Both star and planet are the same magnitude (1.4) but their colors will give them away. Regulus is a hot, blue-white star whose temperature reaches some 15,400 kelvins, more than twice our Sun’s surface temperature of nearly 5,800 kelvins. Mars, however, shines with a ruddy, orange-red light. This is not because of its temperature, but instead because of sunlight reflecting off the oxidized (rusty) red material on its rocky surface.
In addition to enjoying the pair with your naked eyes, you can also capture them together in the field of view of any telescope or binoculars. The pair is 40° high at sunset and will remain visible above the horizon until local midnight.
Sunrise: 5:31 A.M.
Sunset: 8:31 P.M.
Moonrise: 12:02 A.M.
Moonset: 10:36 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waning gibbous (72%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
