In the early hours of Wednesday morning (Aug. 14), two of the solar system’s brightest and most famous planets will appear to pass close to each other. This rare conjunction of Jupiter and Mars will see the two planets lying a mere third of a degree apart in the night sky. A planetary conjunction occurs when two or more planets appear to be close to each other from our perspective on Earth.
This particular conjunction will be best viewed from around 2:00 a.m. local time until dawn on Wednesday. During this time, the two planets will rise in the northeastern night sky, alongside the constellation Taurus, and will climb about 50 degrees above the eastern horizon by daybreak.
While Jupiter will be approximately 20 times brighter than Mars, both planets will be easily visible to the naked eye from anywhere in the world with clear skies. However, a good pair of stargazing binoculars or a small telescope will significantly enhance the viewing experience. With these optical aids, not only will you see the planets more clearly, but you will also be able to observe the four largest moons of Jupiter: Ganymede and Callisto flanking Jupiter, with the volcanic moon Io and potentially habitable Europa positioned between Jupiter and Ganymede. Mars will appear slightly above Jupiter and its moons.
Although the planets will seem very close during this conjunction, this is merely an optical illusion. In reality, Mars is in the foreground while Jupiter is a staggering 300 million miles (500 million km) further away, according to EarthSky.
This planetary conjunction is the last of the year. The next conjunction will occur on Jan. 20, 2025, when Venus and Saturn will cross paths. However, the next astronomical highlight for skywatchers will be the annual opposition of Saturn. On Sept. 7, Earth will be positioned precisely between the sun and Saturn, resulting in Saturn appearing at its largest, brightest, and most prominent of the year. Any telescope will allow you to observe its distinctive ring pattern.
