While Jupiter and Mars have been close to each other before sunrise in the east all month, the planetary duo will come closest to each other on Wednesday.
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Jupiter and Mars will soon come very close to each other.
Look up into the sky early Wednesday morning and you’ll see what astronomers call a planetary conjunction. According to NASA, this is supposed 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 each other.
“They will appear only a third of a degree apart, which is less than the width of the full moon,” the U.S. space agency said in a review of the sky observations published on July 31.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming conjunction between Jupiter and Mars and how you can observe it for yourself.
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Where is the best place to see Jupiter and Mars close together?
While Jupiter and Mars have been close to each other before sunrise in the east all month, the planetary duo will come closest to each other on Wednesday.
If you want to see it, set your alarm at least a few hours before sunrise on Wednesday morning, astronomer Joe Rao told Space.com. Both planets will appear above the horizon in the constellation Taurus just before 1 a.m. local time; two hours later, they will be in a good position for observation, Rao said.
Even though Jupiter, the fifth planet closest to the Sun, far outshines its direct neighbor, both planets should be easily visible to the naked eye from anywhere in the world on a clear sky, astronomers say.
For observers across the United States, the planets will appear similarly close, but NASA says the best view will be from the eastern sky.
Do you need a telescope to see them?
Binoculars or telescopes are not required, but they can be helpful. And astronomers even say that amateur astronomers should be able to bring both planets into the field of view of a telescope, according to EarthSky.
From our perspective on Earth, the planets appear to be very close to each other during this conjunction, but in reality they are about 300 million miles apart, EarthSky said.
After the conjunction, Mars will continue to rise higher into the morning sky and gradually get brighter. Meanwhile, Jupiter will rise faster and move rapidly away from Mars as it steadily approaches the evening sky, according to EarthSky.
Experience Jupiter and Mars close together while you can
These cosmic pairings don’t come around very often, so take a look while you can.
Since 2000, Jupiter and Mars have only met 11 times, according to Space.com. After Wednesday morning, their paths will not cross again until November 15, 2026.
But in 2033 there will be an even closer encounter, NASA said.
