Jupiter and Mars are about meet up: How to see the planetary conjunction

Natalie Neysa Alund and Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY
·2 min read
4

Jupiter and Mars are about to get up close and personal to one another.

Look up to the sky early Wednesday morning and you'll see what astronomers call a planetary conjunction. This is what is projected to happen when the bright giant gas planet gets a visit from the rocky red planet and the two celestial bodies appear to be close to one another, according to NASA.

"They'll appear just a third of a degree apart, which is less than the width of the full Moon," the U.S. space agency said in a skywatching roundup published July 31.

Here's what to know about the upcoming conjunction between Jupiter and Mars, and how you can see it for yourself.

The view shows Jupiter including its Great red Spot captured by NASA's Juno spacecraft on the outbound leg of its 12th close flyby of the gas giant planet, April 1, 2018. Picture taken April 1, 2018.
The view shows Jupiter including its Great red Spot captured by NASA's Juno spacecraft on the outbound leg of its 12th close flyby of the gas giant planet, April 1, 2018. Picture taken April 1, 2018.

Perseid meteor shower: See photos of celestial show during peak activity

What's the best place to see Jupiter and Mars close together?

While Jupiter and Mars have been near each other in the east before sunup all month, Wednesday will be when the planetary duo have their closest encounter.

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is seen in a "selfie" that it took over a rock nicknamed "Rochette", September 10, 2021. NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is seen in a "selfie" that it took over a rock nicknamed "Rochette", September 10, 2021. NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT

If you want to see it, set your alarm clock for at least a couple of hours before sunrise on Wednesday morning, according to astronomer Joe Rao, writing for Space.com. Both planets will come up over the horizon with the constellation Taurus just before 1 a.m. local time; two hours later they will be well-placed for viewing, Rao said.

Even though Jupiter, the fifth planet closest to the sun, outshines earth's direct neighbor by a wide margin, both planets should be easily visible to the naked eye from anywhere in the world as long as skies are clear, astronomers say.

The planets will appear similarly close for viewers across the contiguous U.S., but NASA said the best views will take place in the eastern sky.

Do you need a telescope to see them?

No binoculars or telescopes are needed, but they may help. And astronomers even say amateur astronomers should be able to fit both planets in the view of a telescope, according to EarthSky.

The planets may appear from out perspective on Earth to be very close together during this conjunction, but in reality, they will be separated by about 300 million miles, EarthSky said.

After the conjunction, Mars will continue to climb higher in the predawn sky, brightening slowly. Jupiter, meanwhile, will ascend faster, pulling rapidly away from Mars as it steadily moves toward the evening sky, according to EarthSky.

Catch Jupiter and Mars close together while you can

These cosmic pairings don't happen very often, so catch a glimpse while you can.

Since the year 2000, Jupiter and Mars have been in conjunction just 11 times, according to Space.com. After Wednesday morning, it won't be until Nov. 15, 2026 that they cross paths again.

But an even closer encounter will occur in 2033, NASA said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jupiter, Mars conjunction: How and when to see planets get close

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next