Full Moon With Mars

At 4:20 today (EDT) the moon will be directly behind the Earth and Full; and since it's lined up perfectly with its planet the moon will move into the planet's shadow and be eclipsed, a total lunar eclipse; if you live in Africa, Asia or Europe. At 4:20, we here in North America will be in direct sunlight, hours away from the Earth's shadow and the eclipse. Those in the eclipse zone (the entire nighttime side of Earth) will get an eclipse bonus treat with bright red Mars just below the eclipsed, and copper colored itself, moon. North America will (clouds allowing)see the Full Moon tonight with Mars shining brilliantly below it, we'll just miss the eclipse. Still, with a clear sky, get out and check it out.
Not only is the moon lined up with Earth today/tonight, it is at apogee and as far as it's going to get this month from Earth and will be small for a full moon, still way bigger and brighter than Mars. That smaller moon will take longer to move through our shadow, it will move dead center through the shadow with the total eclipse lasting almost two hours.
Mars, on the other hand, is as close to Earth as it's been in 15 years (and in 2003 is was closer than it had been in almost 60,000 years) and won't be this close again for 17 more years, so it is about as bright as it can get for Earthly viewers. You will notice Mars is below the moon, and it's about 6 degrees below the ecliptic, the plane of our solar system. If you scan ever westward from the moon and Mars you'll see the ecliptic because the moon, then Saturn, then Jupiter and lastly Venus are on the ecliptic, that curve the sun takes through the sky. Yes, they are all out there tonight. Venus will be close to setting as Mars rises but with a big view of the sky and good timing (9-9:30) you should be able to catch them all. They were spectacular last night (first time the sky had been clear around here in quite awhile) and should be tonight, as well. How do you know it's a planet? It won't twinkle, it's brighter than any nearby stars and it's on the ecliptic.
The clarity of viewing will depend on the front moving through today and right now it doesn't look good. A few raindrops just landed outside and the sun is having trouble finding a way through the clouds here in central Va. Today is supposed to make the low 90's with a better chance for storms than yesterday; Saturday will be cooler with still lowish storm chances but by Sunday we settle back into the soup that has been around for most of this week. Still, not bad out there so far today, muggy but a little breeze and it's not 90 yet. Just back from a stroll with brown dog and I recommend it; get out and check out your planet, Today or Tonight on Earth.