Secrets Illuminated: Unveiling the Mysteries of Monday Night’s Full Moon

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the first full moon of the year rises on Monday evening, Jacksonville’s night sky will present an astronomical dance, as it passes in front of a glowing red Mars, resulting in an extraordinary lunar occultation.

This stellar occurrence resembles a solar eclipse, however, the moon briefly obscures a remote celestial entity from sight.

Here, the lunar occultation of Mars indicates that the Red Planet will appear to vanish behind the Moon, only to emerge on the opposite side.

For those in the greater Jacksonville area, the lunar occultation of Mars is set to start at 10:02 pm.

The phenomenon will take place over the span of an hour, and utilizing binoculars or a telescope will elevate this astronomical occasion.

Regrettably, clouds will stick around tonight before dispersing closer to dawn. The skies will begin to clear from the northwest to the southeast. Residents of Georgia are likely to have a more favorable chance with clouds dissipating earlier than those to the south.

However, if the clouds ruin the view, there’s another celestial wonder to observe in the upcoming nights.

The ATLAS Comet (C/2024 G3) is approaching the sun, achieving its closest distance, or perihelion, on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at a range of 87,236,439 miles.

This will be the nearest it gets to the sun before it accelerates away from our solar system, never to return for millennia.

Although its proximity to the sun makes it difficult to observe in northern skies, vigilant observers may catch a sight of it low on the eastern horizon about half an hour prior to dawn or near the western horizon at twilight.