Mars occultation 2025: When and how to see this phenomenon in the USA

Sky gazers, grab your binoculars, and get ready because this week you are going to watch your evening sky present one of the most mesmerizing celestial events of the year. The month of January is the time to witness the marvelous lunar occultation, involving the planet Mars. The moon will cross paths with Mars on Jan. 13. You can notice a bright object sporting a reddish hue to the left of Orion.

January's full moon, nicknamed the Wolf Moon, will pass in front of our Red Planet, making it disappear in the night for skywatchers looking up. Want to know the best part? The astronomical phenomenon will be visible in most parts of the world.
Furthermore, skywatchers will be able to watch the moon pass in front of Mars with the naked eye, depending on where the event is being viewed from Earth. According to NASA, the occultation will take place for more than an hour in specific parts of the United States.

This rare celestial event offers a unique opportunity for amateur astronomers to witness Mars momentarily vanish behind the moon. For those in regions where the occultation isn’t visible, live streams and telescopic views will still provide a stunning experience.

This is a rare opportunity to see the moon occult a bright planet at night. For Mars specifically, such an occultation is visible from any given location on Earth only about once every 14 years on average. The lunar occultation of Mars happens when the Red Planet enters opposite the sun in the sky, making it at its biggest and brightest as it nears the Earth. This is also the only lunar occultation of Mars that is visible from the US in 2025.

Hide and seek

On Jan. 13, the Mars and Moon will engage in a hide-and-seek play. You can watch the red planet disappear behind the Moon during the occultation. The occultation happens when one celestial object passes directly in front of another, hiding the background object from view. This phenomenon is similar to the eclipses.



If you are in the United States, depending on where you live, you can watch this fascinating phenomenon with the naked eye, binoculars, or a small telescope. This phenomenon will happen for over an hour in some parts of the US.

Here is the best time to see this event based on your location.

• Albuquerque: 6:51 pm - 7:52 pm
• Augusta: 9:29 pm - 10:44 pm
• Atlanta: 9:06 pm - 10:13 pm
• Boise: 7:06 pm - 7:49 pm
• Boston: 9:26 pm - 10:42 pm
• Chicago: 8:08 pm - 9:16 pm
• Dallas: 7:54 pm - 8:57 pm
• Denver: 6:57 pm - 7:57 pm
• Kansas City: 8:00 pm - 9:06 pm
• Memphis: 8:00 pm - 9:07 pm
• Minneapolis: 8:08 pm - 9:10 pm
• Los Angeles: 5:51 pm - 6:45 pm
• Miami: 9:30 pm - 9:53 pm
• New Orleans: 8:00 pm - 8:59 pm
• New York: 9:21 p.m. - 10:37 p.m
• Phoenix: 6:49 pm - 7:48 pm
• Salt Lake City: 6:59 p.m. - 7:52 p.m
• San Antonio: 7:52 pm - 8:50 pm
• San Diego: 5:49 pm - 6:45 pm
• San Francisco: 5:58 pm - 6:45 pm
• Seattle: 6:23 pm - 6:39 pm
• Washington DC: 9:16 pm - 10:31 pm

A simulated view of the Moon as Mars begins its occultation on January 13, 2025.

Stellarium (NASA)