Overview

• At 2 P.M. EDT on July 7 the moon made its closest apparent pass 0.4° south of Antares and remains under half a degree from the star this evening.
• The waxing gibbous moon is about 93% illuminated, providing a bright frame for the red supergiant as twilight fades.
• Antares shines at magnitude 1.1, sits roughly 550 light-years away and is known as the heart of Scorpius and the mythological rival of Mars.
• Skywatchers need only a clear view of the southeastern to southern horizon shortly after sunset to observe the pairing with the naked eye.
• The moon lies about 248,000 miles from Earth, underscoring the immense gulf between lunar and stellar distances.