Enmaeya News — Tonight, Monday, July 28, a thin crescent moon will appear near Mars shortly after sunset. The moon, about 19% lit, and the Red Planet will be visible low in the western sky about 45 minutes after the sun sets.
The two will be very close—about one degree apart, roughly the width of a finger held at arm’s length. Mars will look like a small red dot, while the moon’s dark side will glow faintly from sunlight reflecting off Earth, called Earthshine.
This event comes as several meteor showers reach their peaks. The Piscis Austrinid shower will be active tonight, producing up to five meteors per hour under clear, dark skies.
More meteor showers will peak overnight on July 29 and 30, including the Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids, which can show up to 20 and five meteors per hour, respectively.
Because the crescent moon and Mars will set a few hours after sunset, the night will be darker later on, making it a great time for stargazing and meteor watching.
July 28 is one of the best summer nights to see “shooting stars,” especially from places with little light pollution. Experts suggest avoiding bright screens and giving your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the dark.
