At 09:25 on Wed 18, the Moon will pass in front of Mars and 52 mins later it will reappear. The Sun will have risen but the Moon, although low in the sky will be visible.
Mars will be at mag. –0.9 at the time of the 18 December lunar occultation.
The Moon will be at a large and bright phase, appearing as a waning gibbous, so it should be pretty easy to locate in a clear sky.
Look for it in plenty of time before the start of the event, above the west-northwest horizon.
Once you’ve located the Moon, you’ll need a bit of help, to spot Mars as it will be too dim to be seen with just your eyes.
Binoculars should work fine for the lunar occultation of Mars, although a small telescope on a driven mount will make life a lot easier.
