Starwatch: the meeting of a star, the planet Mars and our moon

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"Crescent Moon Joins Mars and Regulus in Notable Celestial Conjunction"

Starwatch: the meeting of a star, the planet Mars and our moon analysis cover image The Guardian 9.1
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Original Article Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jun/23/starwatch-the-meeting-of-a-star-the-planet-mars-and-our-moon
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TruthLens AI Summary

On June 29, a captivating celestial event will take place as a waxing crescent moon aligns with the planet Mars and the star Regulus. This follows a recent conjunction between Regulus and Mars, allowing the moon to slip into the scene. At 4.7 days old, the moon will be approaching its first quarter phase, showcasing about 22% of its surface illuminated. The event will be best viewed from London around 22:15 BST, where observers can look westward to witness this unique gathering of celestial bodies. The moon's proximity to Mars and Regulus offers a perfect opportunity for stargazers to appreciate the intricate dance of the cosmos.

The distances and light travel times between these celestial objects highlight the vastness of space. Light from the moon takes only 1.3 seconds to reach Earth, providing a glimpse of its recent past. In contrast, light from Mars, the fourth planet of our solar system, takes approximately 15 minutes and 57 seconds to arrive. The light from Regulus, a blue-white star, has a staggering travel time of 79 years to reach our eyes. As a result, when observers gaze at these objects, they see the moon as it was 1.3 seconds ago, Mars as it was 15 minutes and 57 seconds ago, and Regulus as it appeared 79 years in the past. This event will also be visible in the southern hemisphere, where the conjunction will appear in the north-north-west, allowing a wider audience to enjoy this astronomical spectacle.

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Source URL: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jun/23/starwatch-the-meeting-of-a-star-the-planet-mars-and-our-moon

Following last week’s conjunction between Regulus andMars, the moon now gets in on the act. This meeting of a star, a planet and a moon takes place on 29 June. The chart shows the view looking west from London at 22:15 BST that day.

Red planet Mars has moved on from its close pass of blue-white star Regulus, giving enough space for a waxing crescent moon to slip in between them.The moonwill be 4.7 days old, and heading towards its first quarter (half-moon) phase. Just over 22% of its visible surface will be illuminated.

From the moon, our nearest celestial neighbour, it takes the sunlight that bounces from its surface just 1.3 seconds to reach our eyes. For Mars, the fourth planet in our solar system, the light travel time from its surface is 15 minutes and 57 seconds. And for Regulus it takes light 79 years to reach us. So we see the moon as it appeared 1.3 seconds ago, Mars as it appeared 15 minutes and 57 seconds ago, and Regulus as it appeared 79 years ago.

The conjunction is easily visible from the southern hemisphere too, where it will appear in the north-north-west.

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Source: The Guardian