Occultation of Mars 2025: Occultation of Mars 2025: When and how to observe this phenomenon in the USA

Sky watchers will be able to witness a rare celestial event in January, as the Moon passes Mars on January 13. This lunar occultation of Mars will be visible across the United States, with times varying by location. The Red Planet will appear to hide behind the Moon, an event that happens approximately every 14 years.

Sky watchers, grab your binoculars and get ready because this week you’re going to watch your evening sky showcase one of the most fascinating celestial events of the year. January is the time to witness the marvelous lunar occultationinvolving the planet Mars. THE moon will cross the path of March on January 13. You can notice a bright object sporting a reddish tint to the left of Orion.
This is a rare opportunity to see the moon obscure a bright planet at night. For Mars in particular, such an occultation is visible from any given location on Earth only about once every 14 years on average. Mars’ lunar occultation occurs when the red planet enters the sky opposite the sun, making it larger and brighter as it gets closer to Earth. It is also the only lunar occultation of Mars visible from the United States in 2025.
Hide and seek

January 13, March and Moon will engage in a game of hide and seek. You can watch the Red Planet disappear behind the Moon during the occultation. Occultation occurs when one celestial object passes directly in front of another, thereby hiding the background object. This phenomenon is similar to eclipses.

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If you are in the United States, depending on where you live, you can observe this fascinating phenomenon with the naked eye, with binoculars or a small telescope. This phenomenon will occur for more than an hour in certain regions of the United States.
Here’s the best time to see this event based on your location.

Albuquerque: 6:51 p.m. – 7:52 p.m.
Augusta: 9:29 p.m. – 10:44 p.m.
Atlanta: 9:06 p.m. – 10:13 p.m.
Boise: 7:06 p.m. – 7:49 p.m.
Boston: 9:26 p.m. – 10:42 p.m.
Chicago: 8:08 p.m. – 9:16 p.m.
Dallas: 7:54 p.m. – 8:57 p.m.
Denver: 6:57 p.m. – 7:57 p.m.
Kansas City: 8:00 p.m. – 9:06 p.m.
Memphis: 8:00 p.m. – 9:07 p.m.
Minneapolis: 8:08 p.m. – 9:10 p.m.
Los Angeles: 5:51 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Miami: 9:30 p.m. – 9:53 p.m.
New Orleans: 8:00 p.m. – 8:59 p.m.
New York: 9:21 p.m. – 10:37 p.m.
Phoenix: 6:49 p.m. – 7:48 p.m.
Salt Lake City: 6:59 p.m. – 7:52 p.m.
San Antonio: 7:52 p.m. – 8:50 p.m.
San Diego: 5:49 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
San Francisco: 5:58 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Seattle: 6:23 p.m. – 6:39 p.m.
Washington DC: 9:16 p.m. – 10:31 p.m.

A simulated view of the Moon as Mars begins its occultation on January 13, 2025.
Stellarium (NASA)