"Magical" and rare celestial events will take place tonight as the moon eclipses Mars. Here's how to watch. - CBS News

Wednesday volition beryllium a "magical" nighttime successful the satellite of stargazing arsenic 4 celestial events instrumentality spot among the skies. 

The time volition extremity with the earliest sunset of the year, the absorption of Mars and a uncommon lawsuit successful which the December afloat moon, known arsenic the "cold moon," volition temporarily eclipse Mars. 

According to NASA, the prima volition spell down conscionable earlier 4:45 p.m. EST connected Wednesday, with twilight ending astatine 5:49 p.m. EST. While it volition bring aboriginal darkness, it volition pave the mode for a magnificent nighttime of stargazing. Along with the afloat moon, viewers volition beryllium capable to observe aggregate planets adjacent its glow: Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, the past of which volition beryllium straight other the sun, an lawsuit known arsenic Mars opposition. 

Wednesday's afloat satellite is known arsenic the cold moon due to the fact that of the "long, acold nights" that wintertime brings, according to NASA, citing the Maine Farmers' Almanac. It's besides known arsenic the Frost Moon and Winter Moon successful the almanac, arsenic good arsenic the Yule Moon and Oak Moon successful Europe. 

But the main lawsuit isn't conscionable the satellite itself. As Mars makes its closest and brightest quality of the year, NASA said that the satellite volition gradually displacement person to the reddish planet. In immoderate planetary regions, the satellite volition look to eclipse Mars from view, an lawsuit known arsenic a lunar occultation. 

"Dec. 7 brings 1 of those magical moments erstwhile the entity changes dramatically earlier your precise eyes," NASA says successful a skywatching highlights video. 

Parts of North America, Europe and Northern Africa volition beryllium capable to spot the occultation, NASA said, portion those successful the southeast and eastbound seashore of the U.S. volition spot the satellite "just graze past Mars."

A presumption of the occultation should past astir an hr for astir people. Those successful Minneapolis volition spot Mars vanish astir 9:03 p.m. CST and reappear astir 10:11 p.m., NASA said, portion those successful Los Angeles volition beryllium capable to observe the improvement from astir 6:31 p.m. PST to 7:31 p.m. The afloat satellite volition beryllium astatine its highest astatine 11:08 p.m. EST.

NASA said that this lawsuit volition people a "relatively uncommon accidental to ticker a agleam satellite being occulted by the moon."  

"The satellite passes successful beforehand of planets successful the nighttime entity respective times per year. In fact, it mostly occults Mars itself astatine slightest a mates of times per year," NASA said. "But each occultation is disposable from lone a tiny information of Earth's surface, truthful it's not ace communal for immoderate peculiar spot connected Earth to spot them frequently."

For those who are extracurricular the regions wherever viewing the occultation is possible, oregon who whitethorn not person wide skies during the celestial events, determination are unrecorded streams disposable to ticker it unfold successful existent time. Here's however you tin ticker (all times listed beneath are EST): 

• The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 will person an online reflection opening astatine 11 p.m. 
• The University of Texas astatine Austin's McDonald Observatory on with Flagstaff, Arizona's Lowell Observatory volition big a live stream opening astatine 9 p.m. 
• Southern California's Griffith Observatory volition big a unrecorded watercourse opening astatine 9 p.m. 
• Carnegie Astronomy's live stream volition statesman astatine 9:15 p.m. 

In:
• Moon
• News From Space
• Mars
• NASA