Past Moon-Planet Conjunctions 2023
From this article, you’ll learn when the planets passed near the Moon in our sky in 2023. For the upcoming conjunctions, read our other monthly-updated article.
Contents
- December conjunctions
- November conjunctions
- October conjunctions
- September conjunctions
- August conjunctions
- July conjunctions
- June conjunctions
- May conjunctions
- April conjunctions
- March conjunctions
- February conjunctions
- January conjunctions
December conjunctions
December 9: Moon near Venus
- Close approach time: 14:24 GMT (9:24 a.m. EST)
- Close approach distance: 3°19'
- Conjunction time: 16:53 GMT (11:53 a.m. EST)
- Conjunction distance: 3°54'
On December 9, Venus (mag -4.2) will be shining next to the 12%-illuminated Moon. You will see the bright planet next to the thin lunar crescent early in the morning, before sunrise, in the constellation Virgo. No optics are necessary, although a pair of binoculars might be a good idea for a closer look at the duo.
December 12: Moon near Mars
- Close approach time: 10:06 GMT (5:06 a.m. EST)
- Close approach distance: 3°31'
On December 12, the New Moon will meet Mars (mag 1.4) in the constellation Ophiuchus. Both celestial bodies will be over the horizon during the daytime. Therefore, the close approach will be unobservable. Avoid observing any sky objects while they are close to the Sun: it may result in permanent blindness.
December 14: Moon near Mercury
- Conjunction time: 05:47 GMT (0:47 a.m. EST)
- Conjunction distance: 4°22'
On December 14, the 5%-illuminated Moon will meet Mercury (mag 0.8) in the constellation Sagittarius. The lunar disc will be almost invisible, and the planet will set one hour after the Sun, so you won't have much time to find it in the evening sky.
December 17: Moon near Saturn
- Conjunction time: 21:58 GMT (4:58 p.m. EST)
- Conjunction distance: 2°30'
- Close approach time: 23:32 GMT (6:32 p.m. EST)
- Close approach distance: 2°16'
On December 17, the 30%-illuminated Moon will come close to Saturn (mag 0.9). They will be visible in the dark evening sky in the constellation Aquarius. Both celestial bodies will be bright enough to be observed with the naked eye.
December 19: Moon near Neptune
- Close approach time: 14:07 GMT (9:07 a.m. EST)
- Close approach distance: 1°07'
On December 19, stargazers from western Australia will see a rare event called lunar occultation: the 45%-illuminated Moon will pass in front of the dim planet Neptune (mag 7.9), which is impossible to observe without binoculars or a telescope. The rest of the world will see the two celestial bodies next to each other; the apparent distance between them will be 1°07'.
December 22: Moon near Jupiter
- Close approach time: 12:53 GMT (7:53 a.m. EST)
- Close approach distance: 2°23'
- Conjunction time: 14:20 GMT (9:20 a.m. EST)
- Conjunction distance: 2°42'
On December 22, the 79%-illuminated Moon will meet Jupiter (mag -2.7) in the constellation Aries. The duo will be in the sky all night; by 8 p.m. local time, they will be the highest in the sky. Both objects will shine bright and be clearly visible without any optics.
November conjunctions
November 13: Moon near Mars
- Close approach time: 12:18 GMT (6:18 a.m. EST)
- Close approach distance: 2°21'
On November 13, the New Moon will meet Mars (mag 1.5) in the constellation Libra. The planet will stay close to the Sun and, therefore, be lost in its glare, so it will be impossible to see the close approach of the two celestial objects. Never attempt to look through a telescope for a planet that is close to the Sun: it can cause permanent vision loss.
November 14: Moon near Mercury
- Conjunction time: 14:04 GMT (9:04 a.m. EST)
- Conjunction distance: 1°37'
On November 14, the Moon will meet Mercury (mag -0.4) in the constellation Scorpius. The elusive planet will be an evening object and will set an hour after the Sun. The lunar disc will be almost invisible, as the New Moon will occur the day before.
November 20: Moon near Saturn
- Conjunction time: 14:02 GMT (9:02 a.m. EST)
- Conjunction distance: 2°48'
- Close approach time: 15:45 GMT (10:45 a.m. EST)
- Close approach distance: 2°30'
On November 20, the 52%-illuminated Moon will meet Saturn (mag 0.8) in the constellation Aquarius. Start observations after sunset: by that time, the pair will be highest in the sky. Observe the scene through binoculars or with the naked eye.
November 25: Moon near Jupiter
- Close approach time: 09:43 GMT (4:43 a.m. EST)
- Close approach distance: 2°32'
- Conjunction time: 11:10 GMT (6:10 a.m. EST)
- Conjunction distance: 2°48'
On November 25, the 95%-illuminated Moon will be near Jupiter (mag -2.8). The bright duo will climb the highest in the sky by 9 p.m. local time. You will easily spot them with the naked eye in the constellation Aries.
October conjunctions
October 2: Moon near Jupiter
- Close approach time: 01:37 GMT (October 1, 9:37 p.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 3°09'
- Conjunction time: 03:16 GMT (October 1, 11:16 p.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 3°30'
On October 2, the 90%-illuminated Moon will be close to Jupiter (mag -2.8). Both objects will be in the constellation Aries. The duo will be in the sky from dusk till dawn; by around 3 a.m. local time, they will reach the highest point in the sky. You will easily find the bright celestial bodies even with the naked eye.
October 10: Moon near Venus
- Conjunction time: 09:45 GMT (5:45 a.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 6°29'
- Close approach time: 14:46 GMT (10:46 a.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 5°55'
On October 10, the 18%-illuminated Moon will be near Venus (mag -4.6). Both objects will appear above the horizon in the morning, at about 4 a.m. local time, and will be visible through binoculars or with the naked eye. The constellation Leo will host the duo, and its brightest star Regulus (mag 1.4) will be shining between the planet and the lunar crescent.
October 14: Moon near Mercury
- Close approach time: 08:58 GMT (4:58 a.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 0°36'
On October 14, the New Moon will meet Mercury (mag -1.4) in the constellation Virgo. Both celestial objects will rise almost simultaneously with the Sun, so it will be hard to see them close together. However, on this day, observers from the United States, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil will see a rare celestial event called “ring of fire”, or annular solar eclipse, which occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun.
October 15: Moon near Mars
- Close approach time: 15:35 GMT (11:35 a.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 0°54'
On October 15, the 1%-illuminated Moon will meet Mars (mag 1.6) in the constellation Virgo. The two objects will stay rather close to the Sun and will be above the horizon mostly during the daytime. Mars will set just an hour after sunset, so observers will not have much time to find it. The lunar disc will be invisible, as the New Moon will occur the day before.
October 24: Moon near Saturn
- Conjunction time: 07:52 GMT (3:52 a.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 2°46'
- Close approach time: 09:34 GMT (5:34 a.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 2°32'
On October 24, the 74%-illuminated Moon will meet Saturn (mag 0.7) in the constellation Aquarius. Both objects will rise during the daytime; by the time the Sun goes down, they will be highest in the sky. The pair will be visible in the evening sky with the naked eye and through binoculars.
October 29: Moon near Jupiter
- Close approach time: 06:37 GMT (2:37 a.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 2°54'
- Conjunction time: 08:10 GMT (4:10 a.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 3°12'
On October 29, the day after the Full Moon, the lunar crescent will meet bright Jupiter (mag -2.9) in the constellation Aries. The celestial bodies will be in the sky from sunset to sunrise and will reach the highest position by the local midnight. Both of them can be easily seen with the naked eye and through binoculars.
September conjunctions
September 4: Moon near Jupiter
- Close approach time: 18:06 GMT (2:06 p.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 3°05'
- Conjunction time: 19:44 GMT (3:44 p.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 3°17'
On September 4, Jupiter (mag -2.6) will meet the 73%-illuminated Moon in the constellation Aries. Both celestial objects will rise at about 10-11 p.m. local time and be easily observable with the naked eye. Also, on the same day, Jupiter enters retrograde motion and will appear to be moving “backwards” until December 31. Read our dedicated article to learn more about this phenomenon.
September 11: Moon near Venus
- Conjunction time: 19:32 GMT (3:32 p.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 10°49'
On September 11, the 12%-illuminated Moon will meet Venus (mag -4.7) in the constellation Cancer. The planet will rise in the morning, about 2-3 hours before the Sun. It can be easily spotted with the naked eye or binoculars.
September 13: Moon near Mercury
- Conjunction time: 22:04 GMT (6:04 p.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 5°23'
On September 13, the Moon will approach Mercury (mag 2.0). They will be in the constellation Leo. The 1%-illuminated lunar disc will be almost invisible as the New Moon will occur two days later. The planet will rise in the morning, one hour before the Sun. In a little over a week, Mercury will be furthest away from the Sun, and observers will have a little more time to see it.
September 16: Moon near Mars
- Conjunction time: 19:20 GMT (3:20 p.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 0°39'
- Close approach time: 19:53 GMT (3:53 p.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 0°35'
On September 16, the Moon will meet Mars in the constellation Virgo. The planet will have a magnitude of 1.7 and will mostly travel the daytime sky. The 1-day-old Moon will be 2%-illuminated and hard to observe. Observers from the southern latitudes will find the duo in the evening sky after sunset. Also, a lunar occultation of Mars will be visible from North America and northern parts of South America.
August conjunctions
August 3: Moon near Saturn
- Conjunction time: 10:21 GMT (06:21 a.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 2°28'
- Close approach time: 12:03 GMT (08:03 a.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 2°15'
On August 3, 2023, the waning gibbous Moon (illumination 98.7%) met Saturn (mag 0.6) in the constellation Aquarius. Start your observations at about 10 p.m. local time. By that moment, the sky will get dark, and both celestial bodies will be over the horizon.
August 8: Moon near Jupiter
- Close approach time: 07:45 GMT (03:45 a.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 2°39'
- Conjunction time: 09:41 GMT (05:41 a.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 3°
On August 8, 2023, the last quarter Moon (illumination 56.7%) will shine next to bright Jupiter (mag -2.4). Both objects will be in the constellation Aries. They will rise after midnight. By that time, the sky will get dark, and you might see the star Hamal (mag 2.0) nearby.
August 18: Moon near Mercury
- Conjunction time: 11:26 GMT (07:26 a.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 6°56'
On August 18, 2023, two days after the New Moon, the almost invisible lunar disk (illumination 2.8%) will be near Mercury (mag 0.7). Both objects will be in the constellation Leo. Observe them in the evening, as well as Mars (mag 1.8) shining in the neighboring constellation Virgo.
August 18: Moon near Mars
- Conjunction time: August 18, 23:06 GMT (07:06 p.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 2°10'
- Close approach time: August 19, 01:17 GMT (August 18, 09:17 p.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 1°55'
On August 18, the thin lunar crescent (illumination 2.8%) will move to the constellation Virgo and meet Mars (mag 1.8). Both objects will be observable in the evening close to the horizon. Mercury (mag 0.7) will be the other bright dot near the Moon.
August 30: Moon near Saturn
- Conjunction time: 18:03 GMT (02:03 p.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 2°29'
- Close approach time: 19:43 GMT (03:43 p.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 2°16'
On August 30, the Moon (illumination 99.5%) will shine next to Saturn (mag 0.4) in the constellation Aquarius. You will easily find them in the evening sky. Saturn will reach opposition on August 27, and the Super Full Moon will occur on August 31, so both celestial objects will be exceptionally bright. By the way, this Full Moon will also be the Blue Moon; read our dedicated article to learn what it means.
July conjunctions
July 7: Moon near Saturn
- Conjunction time: 03:05 GMT (July 6, 11:05 p.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 2°40'
- Close approach time: 04:59 GMT (12:59 a.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 2°25'
On July 7, 2023, we observed the waning gibbous Moon (illumination 85.0%) near Saturn (mag 0.8). Both celestial bodies were in the constellation Aquarius. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Moon and the ringed planet rose around midnight and hung close to the horizon. In the Southern Hemisphere, they rose at around 10 p.m. and traveled across the sky all night, reaching the highest point by 3 a.m. local time.
July 19: Moon near Mercury
- Conjunction time: 08:57 GMT (04:57 a.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 3°30'
On July 19, 2023, Mercury (mag -0.4) was next to the Moon (illumination 1.9%). The lunar disk was almost invisible, as the conjunction occurred the day after the New Moon. The planet set one hour after the Sun, so there weren’t much time to see it in the sunset rays. The Moon and Mercury were in the constellation Cancer.
July 20: Moon near Venus
- Conjunction time: 08:38 GMT (04:38 a.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 7°51'
On July 20, 2023, the bright planet Venus (mag -4.6) will meet the Moon (illumination 5.3%) in the constellation Leo. The lunar crescent will be thin and tricky to see. Observe the duo in the evening. You can also spot the prominent star Regulus (mag 1.4) and Mars (mag 1.8) shining nearby.
July 21: Moon near Mars
- Conjunction time: 04:00 GMT (12:00 a.m. EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 3°16'
- Close approach time: 06:57 GMT (02:57 a.m. EDT)
- Close approach distance: 2°57'
On July 21, 2023, the waxing crescent Moon (illumination 10.3%) will be close to Mars (mag 1.8). Both objects will be observable after sunset, in the constellation Leo. Also, see Venus (mag -4.6) and Regulus (mag 1.4) forming a triangle with Mars.
June conjunctions
June 9: Moon near Saturn
On June 9, at 20:19 GMT (04:19 p.m. EDT), the 62%-illuminated Moon passed Saturn (mag 0.7) at a distance of 2°58'. You can find them both in the constellation Aquarius. The objects shared the same right ascension.
On the same day, at 22:29 GMT (06:29 p.m. EDT), the Moon and Saturn made a close approach at a distance of 2°42'. The objects were too far apart to fit into the field of view of a telescope, but they will be easy to see without any special equipment.
June 14: Moon near Jupiter
On June 14, at 05:26 GMT (01:26 a.m. EDT), the 19%-illuminated lunar disk was shining close to Jupiter (mag -2.1). The distance between the two bodies was 1°22'. On the same day, the two objects shared the same right ascension. At the moment of conjunction, at 06:33 GMT, they will be 1°30' from each other.
Both the Moon and Jupiter were in the constellation Aries. Stargazers had around three hours before sunrise to see the bright planet next to the thin lunar crescent.
June 16: Moon near Mercury
On June 16, at 20:40 GMT (04:40 p.m. EDT), the Moon and Mercury shared the same right ascension. The distance between the two bodies will be 4°18'. Both objects will be in the constellation Taurus. Mercury was shining bright at a magnitude of -0.8, and the lunar disk was almost invisible two days away from the New Moon. Aldebaran (mag 0.9) was also shining near Mercury. Spot both bright dots near the horizon in the morning.
June 22: Moon near Venus
On June 22, 2023, at 00:47 GMT (June 21, 08:47 p.m. EDT), the Moon and Venus shared the same right ascension in the constellation Cancer. The distance between them was equal 3°41'. The waxing crescent Moon was 16% illuminated; Venus had a magnitude of -4.4. You can observe the conjunction with a pair of binoculars or the naked eye.
June 22: Moon near Mars
On June 22, at 10:09 GMT (6:09 a.m. EDT), the Moon met Mars in the constellation Leo. Our natural satellite passed 3°47' away from the planet. The Moon will be 19% illuminated, so you'll see a thin lunar crescent. Mars, at magnitude 1.7, was relatively faint but visible to the naked eye. Look for them in the evening, just after sunset.
May conjunctions
May 13: Moon near Saturn
On May 13, at 13:04 GMT (9:04 a.m. EDT), the 32%-illuminated Moon and Saturn (magnitude 1) shared the same right ascension. At that moment, the distance between the two bodies was 3°17'.
On the same day, at 15:26 GMT (11:26 a.m. EDT), the Moon and Saturn got the closest to each other at a distance of 2°59'. Both celestial bodies were in the constellation Aquarius. In the Northern Hemisphere, Saturn appeared above the horizon only a couple of hours before the Sun. In the Southern Hemisphere, the planet rose at about local midnight and was visible all night.
### May 17: Moon near Jupiter
On May 17, at 13:15 GMT (9:15 a.m. EDT), the conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter occurred. The apparent distance between the two bodies was 47'.
Earlier that day, at 12:40 GMT (8:40 a.m. EDT), the Moon passed Jupiter at a distance of 43′. The 6%-illuminated lunar disk was in the constellation Aries, and the planet shone in the constellation Pisces at a magnitude of -2.1. Jupiter was best observed before sunrise. Early risers might also have spotted Mercury (magnitude 1.7) hanging low above the horizon.
Observers from parts of the Americas and Europe had a chance to see the unique event called lunar occultation: Jupiter "hid" behind the Moon. Learn more details from our article about the 10 must-see celestial shows of 2023. We also showed what the scene looked like in the sky in our infographic.
May 18: Moon near Mercury
On May 18, at 01:34 GMT (May 17, 9:34 p.m. EDT), the Moon and Mercury (magnitude 1.6) shared the same right ascension. At that moment, the distance between the two bodies was 3°35'. Both celestial bodies lay in the constellation Aries. The conjunction occurred a day before the New Moon, so the 3%-illuminated lunar disk was almost invisible. Find Mercury in the predawn sky, as well as Jupiter, which also shone nearby at a magnitude of -2.1.
May 23: Moon near Venus
On May 23, at 12:08 GMT (8:08 a.m. EDT), the Moon and Venus will reach conjunction while being within 2°12' from each other. Later that day, at 12:37 GMT, the two bodies will get even closer. The apparent distance between them will be 2°11'.
Observe Venus (magnitude -4.3) and the 12%-illuminated Moon after sunset in the constellation Gemini. Castor (magnitude 1.6) and Pollux (magnitude 1.2) will add up to the scene, as well as Mars (magnitude 1.5) shining nearby. All the objects are bright enough to be spotted with the naked eye.
May 24: Moon near Mars
On May 24, the Moon will move away from Venus to Mars. At 17:32 GMT (1:32 p.m. EDT), the Moon will share the same right ascension with Mars. At 19:19 GMT (3:19 p.m. EDT), the two objects will come the closest to each other: the apparent distance between them will be 3°39'.
The 22%-illuminated Moon and Mars (magnitude 1.5) will be in the constellation Cancer. Observe them in the evening, as well as Venus (magnitude -4.3), which will shine in the neighboring constellation Gemini, forming a triangle with Castor (magnitude 1.6) and Pollux (magnitude 1.2).
April conjunctions
April 16: Moon near Saturn
On April 16, at 03:47 GMT (April 15, 11:37 p.m. EDT), the Moon and Saturn shared the same right ascension. At that moment, the distance between the two bodies was 3°29'.
Later that day, at 06:12 GMT (2:12 a.m. EDT), they will come even closer to each other, and the distance was reduced to 3°11'. Find the 22%-illuminated Moon and Saturn (magnitude 1) in the constellation Aquarius. The planet was bright enough to spot with the naked eye, but both objects were also observable through binoculars as well.
In the Southern Hemisphere, Saturn rose in the middle of the night, so observers from the southern latitudes had at least three hours before sunrise to enjoy the view. In the Northern Hemisphere, however, it appeared in the sky only an hour before the Sun and hung low above the horizon.
April 23: Moon near Venus
On April 23, at 12:31 GMT (8:31 a.m. EDT), the Moon passed within 1°17' from Venus. The lunar disk was 10%-illuminated, and the planet shined at a magnitude of -4.1, which was bright enough to be seen without optics.
At 13:03 GMT (9:03 a.m. EDT), the conjunction of the Moon and Venus occurred. By that moment, the celestial bodies moved away from each other a little, and the distance between them was 1°18'.
Venus was visible in the evening, after sunset. Observers had at least two hours to see the planet with the lunar crescent shining nearby. Both objects were in the constellation Taurus. By the way, the April Lyrids also reached their peak on the same night! See all the details on this celestial show here.
April 26: Moon near Mars
On April 26, at 02:18 GMT (April 25, 10:18 p.m. EDT), the Moon will meet Mars in the constellation Gemini. The apparent distance between the two objects will be 3°36'. The Moon will be 38%-illuminated, and Mars will shine at a magnitude of 1.3. In the evening, observe the lunar crescent passing through the triangle formed by Mars, Castor (magnitude 1.6), and Pollux (magnitude 1.2) – all visible to the naked eye.
March conjunctions
March 21: Moon near Neptune
On March 21, at 06:46 GMT (2:46 a.m. EDT), the Moon passed 2°6' from Neptune. Both objects were in the constellation Pisces. The event was hard to observe as the New Moon occurred on the same day, making our natural satellite unobservable. Moreover, both the Moon and Neptune rose and set almost simultaneously with the Sun, which outshined them.
March 22: Jupiter near Moon
On March 22, at 20:21 GMT (3:21 p.m, EST), the waxing crescent Moon (magnitude -8.3) passed only 0°28' from Jupiter (magnitude -2.0) in the constellation Pisces. This was their closest approach in 2023! Unfortunately, the Moon was 0.2% illuminated and wasn’t visible in the sky.
March 24: Venus near Moon
On March 24, at 10:27 GMT (06:27 a.m. EDT), the waxing crescent Moon (magnitude -10.1) and Venus (magnitude -4.0) shared the same right ascension in the constellation Aries.
Five minutes later, at 10:32 GMT (06:32 a.m. EDT), the Moon and Venus made the closest approach. The 13.2% illuminated lunar disk passed 0°06' south of the planet. This was also extremely close, so observers had a wonderful opportunity to capture images of Venus near the Moon! They were close enough to fit into the field of view of a telescope but were also visible to the naked eye or through binoculars.
Observers in parts of Asia and Africa saw the lunar disk pass in front of Venus, creating a lunar occultation. It was visible from China, India, Thailand, and others. See the full list of countries via the link.
March 25: Moon near Uranus
On March 25, at 00:38 GMT (March 24, 8:38 p.m. EDT), the Moon passed 1°24' from Uranus. The lunar disk was 18%-illuminated, and the planet was shining at a magnitude of 5.8. Binoculars were needed to spot the dim planet. Both objects were in the constellation Aries, as well as the bright planet Venus (magnitude -4), which shined near Uranus. The Pleiades (magnitude 1.2) were also close to the Moon in the constellation Taurus. This beautiful scene could be observed after sunset.
March 28: Mars near Moon
On March 28, at 13:04 GMT (09:04 a.m. EDT), the waxing crescent Moon (-11.7) and Mars (0.9) made the closest approach. They passed within 2°17' from each other in the constellation Gemini. They could be seen with the naked eye or through binoculars. A bit later, at 13:16 GMT (08:16 a.m. EST), the Moon and Mars shared the same right ascension creating a conjunction. On the same day, Mars was also part of a planetary alignment and shared the sky with Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, and Uranus. Find all the details in our dedicated article.
February conjunctions
February 22: Venus near Moon
On February 22, at 07:57 GMT (02:57 a.m. EST), Venus (magnitude -4.0) reached conjunction with the 2-day-old Moon (magnitude -7.8) in the constellation Pisces. The apparent distance between the two objects was 2°05'. It was too far to spot them at once via telescope, but the conjunction was still observable with the naked eye or binoculars.
Later this day, at 09:41 GMT (04:41 a.m. EST), the Moon and Venus made the closest approach, passing within 1°50' of each other. The Moon was 4.3% illuminated on this day. The duo was best visible in the Southern Hemisphere in the evening.
February 22: Jupiter near Moon
The same day, at 21:58 GMT (4:58 p.m. EST), the waxing crescent Moon (magnitude -10.2) reached conjunction with the brilliant Jupiter (magnitude -2.1). Our natural satellite was located in the constellation Cetus, and Jupiter joined it in the neighboring constellation Pisces. The objects were separated by 1.2°, which was too wide to fit within the field of view of a telescope. The conjunction could be seen with the naked eye, or with a pair of binoculars. Bright Venus (magnitude -3.9) also joined the celestial show, shining a little lower on the horizon.
Later, at 22:57 (5:57 p.m. EST), the Moon and Jupiter passed within 1°03' from each other, reaching their closest approach this month. Again, observers from the Southern Hemisphere had a better view. The Moon, Jupiter, and Venus could be seen all at once with the naked eye or binoculars. The planets remained close together for some time reaching conjunction on March 2.
Observers from parts of South America and Antarctica had a chance to see the Moon passing in front of Jupiter in the constellation Pisces. The event is called lunar occultation and can only be observed from certain parts of the world; the rest only saw the conjunction.
February 28: Mars near Moon
On February 28, at 04:11 GMT (on February 27, at 11:11 p.m. EST), the Moon made its closest approach to reddish Mars, passing within 1°03' of the planet. During the close approach, two celestial objects rose higher in the Northern Hemisphere and were visible in the evening.
Later that night, at 04:32 GMT (on February 27, at 11:32 p.m. EST), the waxing gibbous Moon (magnitude -11.4) passed within 1°04' of Mars and reached conjunction with the planet. The lunar disk was 59% illuminated, and the Red Planet shined at a magnitude of 0.4. Both objects were observable with the naked eye or a pair of binoculars in the constellation Taurus.
Observers from parts of Northern Europe and Greenland had a chance to see the Moon passing in front of Mars. The event is called lunar occultation and can only be observed from certain parts of the world; the rest only saw the conjunction.
January conjunctions
January 3: Mars near Moon
On January 3, at 19:35 GMT (02:35 p.m. EST), the waxing gibbous Moon (magnitude -12.2) passed within 0.6° of Mars. Our natural satellite will be 91% illuminated, and Mars, a month past opposition, shined as bright as -1.1. The objects were in the constellation Taurus. The fiery eye of the Bull and the Seven Sisters were also shining nearby.
Observers from parts of Africa and Maldives had a chance to see the Moon passing in front of Mars. The event is called lunar occultation and can only be observed from certain parts of the world; the rest only saw the conjunction.
January 23: Saturn and Venus near Moon
On January 23, at 07:22 GMT (02:22 a.m. EST), Saturn (magnitude 0.7) met the 2-day-old Moon (magnitude -6.9) in the constellation Capricornus. The apparent distance between the two objects was 3°49'. It was too far to spot them at once via telescope, but the conjunction was observable with the naked eye or binoculars.
Later this day, at 08:20 GMT (03:20 a.m. EST), the Moon passed near Venus (magnitude -3.9). The distance between the two bodies was 3°27', which was too far to fit within the field of view of a telescope. Luckily, they were bright enough to spot without any optical devices.
January 26: Jupiter near Moon
On January 26, at 02:00 GMT (on January 25, at 09:00 p.m. EST), the waxing crescent Moon (magnitude -11.2) was shining near bright Jupiter (magnitude -2.2) in the constellation Pisces. The distance between the two objects in the sky was 1.8°. It was too far to spot them at once via telescope, but the conjunction was observable with the naked eye or binoculars.
January 31: Mars near Moon
On January 31, at 04:24 GMT (on January 30, at 11:24 p.m. EST), the waxing gibbous Moon met Mars for the second time in a month. The Red Planet (magnitude -0.3) was shining at a distance of 0.1° from our natural satellite (magnitude -12.3). This was the year’s closest conjunction. The objects were bright enough to see with the naked eye. They could be found in the constellation Taurus.
Observers from parts of the Americas had a chance to see the Moon passing in front of Mars. The event is called lunar occultation and can only be observed from certain parts of the world; the rest saw the conjunction.
Wishing you clear skies and happy observations!
