Moon with Regulus and Mars

03/06/12, 9:30 pm, looking east

This was a cool, clear day with no trace of clouds so I painted an astronomical watercolor.


The moon was almost full at 90 % illumination and made a nice composition with the star Regulus and planet Mars. It is really difficult to see the pattern of craters on the moon unless one narrows one's eyes. That's how bright the light is when reflected off the moon. The full moon appears on March 8th.


Regulus is one of the brightest stars in the sky and the brightest star in the constellation Leo. From this distance (over 77 light years), Regulus appears to be one star but is actually two pairs of stars, Regulus A (one close pair), and Regulus B and C.


Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and appears reddish due to the iron oxide covering the surface of the planet. Mars' brightness in the sky is surpassed only by the sun, moon, Jupiter and Venus.