Moon, Jupiter, Mars and Regulus align over Arab world before dawn

The skies over the Arab world will witness a rare celestial alignment early Thursday, as the waning crescent moon, the star Regulus, and the planets Jupiter and Mars appear in sequence above the eastern horizon before sunrise. The phenomenon will be visible to the naked eye under clear skies.

Majed Abu Zahira, head of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, said the crescent moon will appear low near the horizon, with Regulus above it, followed by Jupiter, and Mars highest in the lineup. The moon’s disk will be about 6% illuminated as it approaches the new moon phase on October 10.

He explained that observation can begin around 4:30 a.m. from a location with an unobstructed eastern view, before the sky brightens. Jupiter will be easy to spot due to its brightness, while Mars will appear dimmer. Regulus, distinguished by its bluish-white color, is located about 79 light-years from Earth.

Abu Zahira added that this alignment is an apparent one, resulting from the observer’s perspective on Earth, despite the vast distances between these objects. Their order is related to their proximity to the ecliptic, the path along which the sun, moon, and most planets appear to move.

He noted that on October 11, Mars will appear to pass near the Beehive Cluster (Praesepe) in the constellation Cancer, which is best observed with binoculars from dark-sky locations. The event also offers an excellent opportunity for astrophotography.