Saturday night’s crescent moon appears near the bright planet Mars. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Capricornus. Mars has lost much of its summer brilliance. In comparison to months ago, Mars is a dull reddish color hardly comparable to earlier this year. The moon passes by Mars but it remains fairly close on Sunday night.

Mars has prevailed as an evening planet. There is not another outer planet in our solar system that can stay so long in our evening sky. The reason is simple. Mars is closer to the earth, following us in our orbit around the sun. Mars is like a distant slow walker, staying in the race.

Mars began the year in Virgo. By the start of summer, Mars was in the zodiacal constellation Scorpius. During the summer, the glowing red planet moved through Sagittarius and now it is hanging on in Capricornus.

None of the outer planets spend so little time going through a constellation. Saturn spends two years in one constellation before it moves onto the next. Jupiter spends one year in a zodiacal constellation. In half a year, Mars will have moved through three constellations before eventually slipping into the glare of the bright setting sun.