Past Moon-Planet Conjunctions 2026
From this article, you’ll learn when the planets passed near the Moon in our sky in 2026. For the upcoming conjunctions, read our other monthly-updated article.
Contents
Planets next to the Moon in February 2026
February 16: Moon near Mars
- Conjunction time: 17:41 GMT (12:41 ET)
- Conjunction distance: 0°45'
- Close approach time: 18:17 GMT (13:17 ET)
- Close approach distance: 0°42'
On February 16, the 1% illuminated Moon will be close to Mars (mag 1.1) in the sky. They will be positioned in the constellation Capricornus. Both objects will be too close to the Sun to be observable. As visible from Antarctica, the Moon even covers Mars, creating a lunar occultation of the planet.
February 18: Moon near Venus
- Close approach time: 07:42 GMT (02:42 ET)
- Close approach distance: 1°32'
- Conjunction time: 09:19 GMT (04:19 ET)
- Conjunction distance: 1°45'
On February 18, the Moon will pass close to Venus in the evening sky. Venus will shine as the brightest dot in the sky at a magnitude of -3.8, easy to spot even in twilight. The Moon will be just a day after its New Moon phase, at 1% illumination, making it nearly invisible. While you might not see the Moon, this is still a great chance to enjoy Venus glowing brilliantly in the evening sky – look for it near the western horizon in the constellation Aquarius.
February 18: Moon near Mercury
- Conjunction time: 23:02 GMT (18:02 ET)
- Conjunction distance: 0°08′
- Close approach time: 23:09 GMT (18:09 ET)
- Close approach distance: 0°06′
On February 18, a very thin 1% illuminated Moon and Mercury (mag -0.5) will put on a great show. For observers in parts of the U.S. mainland, Mexico, eastern Australia, New Zealand, and a few other regions, the Moon will pass in front of Mercury, creating a lunar occultation of the planet. The event runs roughly from 20:50 to 01:30 GMT (15:50 to 20:30 ET), but the exact timing depends on your location. To check visibility and local time for you, open the Sky Tonight app, go to Calendar, and tap the event on February 18 — your local time will appear under the image in the Event card.
Elsewhere, you’ll still see the Moon very close to Mercury. And there’s a bonus: Mercury reaches its greatest elongation on February 19, meaning it will be at its maximum apparent distance from the Sun and easier than usual to spot in the evening. Look low above the western horizon about an hour after sunset; both objects will be in Aquarius. Venus will be nearby too — closer to the Sun, but so bright it’s visible even in twilight.
February 19: Moon near Saturn
- Close approach time: 20:09 GMT (15:09 ET)
- Close approach distance: 4°04'
- Conjunction time: February 20, 00:03 GMT (February 19, 19:03 ET)
- Conjunction distance: 4°38'
On February 19, the 6%-illuminated Moon will pass close to Saturn (mag 1.0) in the sky. Both objects will be in the constellation Pisces. You can observe them with the naked eye or through binoculars — look above the western–southwestern horizon after sunset. If you have a telescope, you can also spot Neptune (mag 7.8) nearby.
February 19: Moon near Neptune
- Close approach time: 20:25 GMT (15:25 ET)
- Close approach distance: 3°15'
- Conjunction time: 23:30 GMT (18:30 ET)
- Conjunction distance: 3°40'
On February 19, the 6%-illuminated Moon will be close to Neptune (mag 7.8) in the sky. You can observe Neptune through powerful binoculars or a telescope in the constellation Pisces. Bright Saturn (mag 1.0) will also be nearby, easily visible to the naked eye.
February 23: Moon near Uranus
- Close approach time: 22:19 GMT (17:19 ET)
- Close approach distance: 5°21'
- Conjunction time: February 24, 00:35 GMT (February 23, 19:35 ET)
- Conjunction distance: 5°31'
On February 23, the 44%-illuminated Moon will pass near Uranus (mag 5.8) in the constellation Taurus. To observe Uranus (especially when it’s close to the bright Moon), you’ll need powerful binoculars or a small telescope.
As a bonus, the Pleiades star cluster (mag 1.2) will also shine near the Moon. Observers across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean will see a lunar occultation of the Pleiades.
Planets next to the Moon in January 2026
January 18-19, 2026: Moon near Mars, Mercury, and Venus
On January 18 and 19, the Moon in its new phase (0% illuminated) will pass near three planets — Mars (mag 1.1), Mercury (mag -1.2), and Venus (mag -3.9). Unfortunately, all of these objects will be too close to the Sun to be observable.
January 19: Moon near Pluto
- Close approach time: 04:27 GMT
- Close approach distance: 0°44'
- Conjunction time: 04:56 GMT
- Conjunction distance: 0°45'
On January 19, the Moon in its new phase (0% illuminated) will get extremely close to the dwarf planet Pluto (mag 14.5) in the sky. In some locations, the Moon will even cover Pluto — this phenomenon is known as a lunar occultation. However, both objects will be too close to the Sun to be observable.
January 23: Moon near Saturn
- Close approach time: 08:57 GMT
- Close approach distance: 3°49'
- Conjunction time: 12:40 GMT
- Conjunction distance: 4°22'
On January 23, the 21%-illuminated Moon will pass close to Saturn (mag 1.0) in the sky. Both objects will be in the constellation Pisces. You can observe them with the naked eye or through binoculars — look above the western–southwestern horizon after sunset. If you have a telescope, you can also spot Neptune (mag 7.8) nearby.
January 23: Moon near Neptune
- Close approach time: 12:48 GMT
- Close approach distance: 3°08'
- Conjunction time: 15:49 GMT
- Conjunction distance: 3°34'
On January 23, the 22%-illuminated Moon will be close to Neptune (mag 7.8) in the sky. You can observe Neptune through powerful binoculars or a telescope in the constellation Pisces. Bright Saturn (mag 1.0) will also be nearby, easily visible to the naked eye.
January 27: Moon near Uranus
- Close approach time: 16:33 GMT
- Close approach distance: 5°16'
- Conjunction time: 18:46 GMT
- Conjunction distance: 5°26'
On January 27, the 67%-illuminated Moon will pass near Uranus (mag 5.7) in the constellation Taurus. To observe Uranus (especially when it’s close to the bright Moon), you’ll need powerful binoculars or a small telescope.
As a bonus, the Pleiades star cluster (mag 1.2) will also shine near the Moon. Observers across Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and parts of western Asia will see a lunar occultation of the Pleiades.
January 31: Moon near Jupiter
- Conjunction time: 02:30 GMT
- Conjunction distance: 3°50'
- Close approach time: 03:38 GMT
- Close approach distance: 3°47'
On January 31, the 95%-illuminated Moon will be close to Jupiter (mag -2.6) in the sky. Observe them with the naked eye or through a pair of binoculars in the constellation Gemini. Both objects will be high in the sky already at sunset and will be visible almost until dawn.
