Waxing Gibbous Moon to Align with Antares on August 3

New York, NY — Stargazers will witness a spectacular celestial event on the evening of Sunday, August 3, when the waxing gibbous moon aligns closely with the red supergiant star Antares. After sunset, look southwest in the sky to see the moon glow brightly as Antares appears just above it.

The two objects will be about four degrees apart, making them easy to spot. For perspective, your pinky finger held at arm’s length measures roughly one degree in the sky. The moon and Antares will gradually sink towards the horizon over the next couple of hours, creating an enchanting view for skywatchers.

Antares is known as the “rival to Mars” because of its reddish hue and its position near where Mars frequently passes in the night sky. The star is approximately 550 light-years away from Earth and shines at a magnitude of 1.1.

For those in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, including Argentina and Chile, the moon will occult or pass directly in front of Antares, obscuring the star from view. This occultation will begin around 8:08 p.m. ET (0008 GMT August 4).

As the moon continues its orbit, it will regularly pass near Antares, allowing opportunities for future viewings of this cosmic duo. Stargazers are encouraged to find a location with a clear, unobstructed view of the southwestern sky to enhance their experience.

The upcoming events in August also include the full sturgeon moon on August 9, the Perseid meteor shower peak on August 12-13, and a close conjunction of Jupiter and Venus on August 12. Wishing all observers clear skies and bright views.