Full Moon TONIGHT: How to see the August Full Moon and Mars together in the night sky

Pay attention to the stars as there is chance you will get to see the Red Planet along with a brilliant full moon.

The ninth Full Moon of the year is the Sturgeon Moon and it is named after the largest fish in the United States, the lake sturgeon.

The name comes from the traditions of Colonial Americans whereby they were able to capture the fish more easily in August and early September.

How to see the August Full Moon and Mars together in the night sky

The August full moon is exceptionally bright as it will position itself at 180 degrees in line with the Sun.

The moon reached its fullness at 12.56pm BST but will be more visible to the naked eye once darkness falls.

In the UK, you should be able to see this shortly after 8.19pm BST.

However, times may vary slightly according to where you live.

It is best to check moonrise times by clicking

And stargazers will also be able to see Mars as viewing opportunities today offer “perfect visibility” according to Timeanddate.com.

People in the UK should be able to see the Red Planet from now, following sunset at 7.17pm BST until 2.19am.

The orb will be a tiny glowing dot compared to the much larger moon but should still be visible in the sky.

The star should be visible to the right of the Moon after it passed by two nights ago.

Mars will be visible for several hours but is best viewed in the late evening hours just after sunset.

European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst tweeted a picture of Mars and Moon from the International Space Station on Saturday, August 25.

He wrote: “The road ahead. As our neighbours, these two are the undiscovered continents of our time.

“Moon and Mars are just around the corner. They keep important secrets for us and we can get there. Let’s go!”

Will other planets be visible tonight?

A total of seven planets can be seen at various points tonight.

Saturn, Uranus and Venus will be visible just after sunset.

But Neptune should be visible for most of the night.