This weekend should be fun with two celestial events taking place: a ‘Blue Moon' and the opposition of Mars.
As for the Blue Moon
May's Full Moon is also called Full Flower Moon, the Full Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon. But this year, it will also go by the name of a Blue Moon.
A Blue Moon happens once every few years (you know, ‘once in a Blue Moon') and is commonly the name of the second full moon in a calendar month.
But it's different this time around.
Usually, there are only three full moons in each season, but occasionally there is a season with four full moons. When this happens, like how it is this spring, the third of the four full moons earns the name of a Blue Moon.
Here's the weather for Saturday night's Blue Moon for those living in the United States.
Mars will be one of the brightest objects in the sky on Sunday night after the Moon and will be visible from dusk to dawn.
By the time Mars reaches opposition, it will have quadrupled in brightness since the beginning of April. Additionally, it will shine nearly 80 times brighter than it does when the planet is at its faintest.
Even if clouds block your view of Mars on Sunday night, it should remain bright for several weeks before it slowly and steadily becomes faint.
Mars will be one of the brightest objects in the sky on Sunday night after the Moon and will be visible from dusk to dawn.
According to EarthSky, by the time Mars reaches opposition, it will have quadrupled in brightness since the beginning of April. Additionally, it will shine nearly 80 times brighter than it does when the planet is at its faintest.
Even if clouds block your view of Mars on Sunday night, it should remain bright for several weeks before it slowly and steadily becomes faint.
About a week after opposition, Mars will make its closest approach to Earth in over 10 years.
At a distance of 46.8 million miles (75.3 million km), this will be the closest the Red Planet has been to our planet since 2003!
