Mars and Jupiter are about to have their closest encounter in the night sky in the past decade. On Wednesday, they will be so near from our viewpoint that only a sliver of the moon could fit between them. However, in reality, these two planets are actually more than 350 million miles apart in their own orbits across the solar system.
The minimum separation between Mars and Jupiter, which is about one-third of 1 degree or roughly one-third the width of the moon, will occur during daylight hours on Wednesday in the majority of the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Despite this close encounter appearing during the day, the two planets will not look significantly different from each other when viewed in the dark sky hours or even a day earlier, as stated by Jon Giorgini from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
For the best observation, people should look towards the eastern sky, specifically towards the constellation Taurus, just before daybreak to witness this planetary conjunction. Such events, known as planetary conjunctions, occur approximately every three years and are a spectacle for sky gazers, creating a sense of wonder at the sight of two bright objects coming so close together in the night sky.
The orbits of Mars and Jupiter have not brought them this close in a line behind one another since 2018 and will not repeat it until 2033, when they will be even closer. The most recent similar event was in 1761, where they appeared as a single bright object visible to the naked eye. Looking ahead, the year 2348 will witness a similar proximity between the two planets.
This cosmic rendezvous of Mars and Jupiter coincides with the Perseid meteor shower, one of the most vibrant meteor showers of the year, providing a delightful celestial event for observers. No binoculars or telescopes are required to appreciate this natural phenomenon.
