Today we have the closest new moon of 2018, a supermoon. You won't see it, but Earth's oceans will feel it. Then, 2 weeks from now, we'll have the year's farthest full moon, which will undergo this century's longest lunar eclipse.
By the time you read this, the eclipse will already have happened. Few will have seen it, only those at the far-southern end of Earth. But if you're interested in Friday the 13th eclipses, read on.
You'll find Mars easily. It's the Red Planet. It's an extremely bright red "star," ascending in the east by mid-evening, crossing the sky the rest of the night. Gary Peltz – who is on a 3-week road trip – wrote: “What a fantastic night it was after hitting 104 F yesterday! This is Whiskeytown Lake just west of Redding, California, last night. Mars rising big and bright lower left and reflecting in the water.” More photos from the EarthSky community here.
