January's Full Wolf Moon Will Hide Mars in a Rare Lunar Occultation—Here's How to See It

Look up at the night sky on January 13 and see two celestial events happen simultaneously. The full Wolf Moon will occult Mars, a phenomenon that occurs when one celestial object passes directly in front of another, smaller one.

Stargazers living in the U.S. and Eastern Canada will be able to see the occultation with the naked eye. On Monday evening, the moon and Mars will appear very close together before the moon appears to pass in front of the Red Planet. The occultation takes place over a couple of hours, according to NASA.

The full Wolf Moon will rise from the eastern horizon as the sun begins to set on January 13. The moon reaches peak illumination at around 5:27 p.m. EST, The Old Farmer's Almanac reports. Other names for this moon include the Cold Moon, Frost Exploding Moon, Freeze Up Moon, Severe Moon, and Hard Moon.

The time of the occultation varies depending on where you live. If don't want to miss it, use the Astronomical League's occultation chart to calculate when the best time to view the event is in your area. After the occultation, take time to enjoy the beauty of January's full Wolf moon.