Conjunction of Planets 2026: When to See Planets Close Together in the Sky
Wondering which planets you can see close together next? This guide covers the upcoming planetary conjunctions and close approaches, key dates, and what will be visible in the sky. Use the free Sky Tonight app to find the best time to see them from your location.
Contents
- Next conjunction of planets: When to see planets close together?
- What is a planetary conjunction?
- Locating planets with Sky Tonight
- Conjunction of planets: FAQ
- Planetary conjunction 2026–2027: bottom line
Next conjunction of planets: When to see planets close together?
Looking for the next time two planets appear close together? Here are upcoming planetary conjunctions and close approaches, with dates and skywatching details to help you plan your observations.
| Date | Planets | Closest distance | Best time to watch | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 15–16, 2026 | Jupiter and Mars | 1°11′ | Late at night to dawn | 🟢 Good |
| March 31, 2027 | Jupiter and Mars | 4°17′ | After sunset | 🟢 Good |
| April 11, 2027 | Mercury and Neptune | 0°57′ | Before sunrise | 🔴 Poor |
| April 19, 2027 | Mercury and Saturn | 0°33′ | Before sunrise | 🔴 Poor |
| April 24, 2027 | Venus and Neptune | 0°14′ | Before sunrise | 🔴 Poor |
Visibility key:
- 🟢 Good — easy to spot under normal conditions
- 🟡 Moderate — visible, but may require some experience or optical aid
- 🔴 Poor — difficult to observe because of poor viewing conditions
Visibility ratings describe favorable locations; conditions may be worse elsewhere. Scroll down for exact times, angular distances, visibility tips, and observing details for each event.
Event times and separations are calculated from Earth’s center; city tables use the view from each location.
How to read the event details: “Conjunction time” is when the planets share the same right ascension. “Close approach time” is when they look closest to each other. The listed distances show their apparent separation in the sky — for comparison, the Full Moon is about 0.5° wide, so a 1.5° separation is roughly three Full Moon diameters.
November 15: Jupiter near Mars
- Conjunction time: 02:42 GMT (November 14, 21:42 EST)
- Conjunction distance: 1°14′
- Close approach time: November 16, 02:04 GMT (November 15, 21:04 EST)
- Close approach distance: 1°11′
On November 15, Mars (mag 0.7) and Jupiter (mag −2.1) will shine close together in the sky. The two planets will rise late at night and climb higher toward dawn. You can easily spot them with the naked eye next to the Sickle asterism in the constellation Leo.
| City | Time zone | Visibility start | Visibility end | Best time | Separation | Jupiter altitude | Mars altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, United States | HST (UTC−10) | Nov 15, 01:10 | Nov 15, 06:20 | Nov 15, 06:20 | 1°12′ | 80° | 81° |
| Los Angeles, United States | PST (UTC−8) | Nov 15, 00:20 | Nov 15, 06:00 | Nov 15, 06:00 | 1°12′ | 69° | 71° |
| London, United Kingdom | GMT (UTC+0) | Nov 16, 00:10 | Nov 16, 06:45 | Nov 16, 01:55 | 1°12′ | 26° | 27° |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates | GST (UTC+4) | Nov 16, 00:50 | Nov 16, 06:10 | Nov 16, 06:10 | 1°12′ | 78° | 78° |
| Bangkok, Thailand | ICT (UTC+7) | Nov 16, 01:00 | Nov 16, 05:55 | Nov 16, 05:55 | 1°12′ | 81° | 81° |
| Sydney, Australia | AEDT (UTC+11) | Nov 16, 02:45 | Nov 16, 05:15 | Nov 16, 05:15 | 1°12′ | 35° | 34° |
- Visibility start: Both Jupiter and Mars are at least 10° above the horizon, and the Sun is at least 6° below the horizon.
- Best time: Jupiter and Mars appear closest within the listed visibility window.
- Visibility end: Jupiter drops below 10°, Mars drops below 10°, or the Sun rises above −6°.
- Separation and planet altitudes are provided for the “best time”.
March 31, 2027: Jupiter near Mars
- Close approach time: 05:22 GMT (01:22 EDT)
- Close approach distance: 4°17′
On March 31, Jupiter (mag −2.3) and Mars (mag −0.4) will make a close approach, appearing about three finger-widths apart. Their right ascensions remain different throughout this encounter, so there is no conjunction. Look for them shortly after sunset, when they will already be high enough above the horizon for comfortable viewing. Mars will lie close to the “hook” of the Sickle asterism, with bright Jupiter nearby in Cancer.
| City | Time zone | Visibility start | Visibility end | Best time | Separation | Jupiter altitude | Mars altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, United States | HST (UTC−10) | Mar 30, 19:10 | Mar 31, 03:00 | Mar 31, 03:00 | 4°17′ | 10° | 14° |
| Mexico City, Mexico | CST (UTC−6) | Mar 30, 19:10 | Mar 31, 03:05 | Mar 31, 03:00 | 4°17′ | 10° | 14° |
| Cape Town, South Africa | SAST (UTC+2) | Mar 30, 19:10 | Mar 31, 01:55 | Mar 31, 01:55 | 4°17′ | 10° | 13° |
| Singapore, Singapore | SGT (UTC+8) | Mar 30, 19:35 | Mar 31, 03:15 | Mar 31, 03:10 | 4°17′ | 10° | 14° |
| Perth, Australia | AWST (UTC+8) | Mar 30, 18:40 | Mar 31, 01:30 | Mar 31, 01:30 | 4°17′ | 10° | 13° |
| Auckland, New Zealand | NZDT (UTC+13) | Mar 31, 19:45 | Apr 1, 02:20 | Apr 1, 02:20 | 4°17′ | 10° | 12° |
- Visibility start: Both Jupiter and Mars are at least 10° above the horizon, and the Sun is at least 6° below the horizon.
- Best time: Jupiter and Mars appear closest within the listed visibility window.
- Visibility end: Jupiter drops below 10°, Mars drops below 10°, or the Sun rises above −6°.
- Separation and planet altitudes are provided for the “best time”.
April 11, 2027: Mercury near Neptune
- Conjunction time: 12:02 GMT (08:02 EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 1°03′
- Close approach time: 18:17 GMT (14:17 EDT)
- Close approach distance: 0°57′
On April 11, Mercury (mag −0.5) will appear close to Neptune (mag 7.8) in the pre-dawn sky. The pair will be only about 17° from the Sun, so Neptune will still be below the horizon when astronomical twilight begins (with the Sun 18° below the horizon). By the time Neptune rises higher, the sky will already be brightening.
Mercury may still be visible to the naked eye in twilight, and bright Venus (mag −3.9) will also appear nearby in the morning sky. Neptune, however, will be extremely difficult to detect even with a telescope. If you use optical equipment, stop observing well before sunrise and never point a telescope or binoculars near the Sun.
April 19, 2027: Mercury near Saturn
- Close approach time: 12:35 GMT (08:35 EDT)
- Close approach distance: 0°33′
- Conjunction time: 16:10 GMT (12:10 EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 0°37′
On April 19, Mercury (mag −1.1) will appear side by side with Saturn (mag 0.7) in the pre-dawn sky. Although both planets are technically visible to the naked eye, spotting them against the bright twilight may be extremely difficult. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will have a slightly better chance of seeing the pair, while at northern latitudes both objects will rise almost at the same time as the Sun.
April 24, 2027: Venus near Neptune
- Conjunction time: 08:52 GMT (04:52 EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 0°15′
- Close approach time: 10:52 GMT (06:52 EDT)
- Close approach distance: 0°14′
On April 24, an unusual pair will appear in the pre-dawn sky: the brightest planet in the Solar System, Venus (mag −3.9), next to the faintest planet, Neptune (mag 7.8). The two planets will pass extremely close to each other and will easily fit within the field of view of a telescope.
The conjunction is technically observable under dark-sky conditions from some southern locations, but only for a very short time. Neptune will still be very low above the horizon when astronomical twilight begins, making it difficult to detect even with a telescope. Venus, by contrast, will be easy to identify even with the naked eye.
If you use optical equipment, stop observing well before sunrise and never point a telescope or binoculars near the Sun.
| City | Time zone | Visibility start | Visibility end | Best time | Separation | Venus altitude | Neptune altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago, Chile | CLT (UTC−4) | Apr 24, 05:45 | Apr 24, 05:48 | Apr 24, 05:48 | 0°14′ | 11° | 11° |
| São Paulo, Brazil | BRT (UTC−3) | Apr 24, 05:04 | Apr 24, 05:08 | Apr 24, 05:08 | 0°16′ | 11° | 11° |
| Cape Town, South Africa | SAST (UTC+2) | Apr 24, 05:50 | Apr 24, 05:52 | Apr 24, 05:52 | 0°25′ | 11° | 10° |
| Johannesburg, South Africa | SAST (UTC+2) | Apr 24, 05:08 | Apr 24, 05:10 | Apr 24, 05:10 | 0°27′ | 11° | 11° |
| Port Louis, Mauritius | MUT (UTC+4) | Apr 24, 05:08 | Apr 24, 05:09 | Apr 24, 05:09 | 0°32′ | 11° | 10° |
| Perth, Australia | AWST (UTC+8) | Apr 25, 05:19 | Apr 25, 05:22 | Apr 25, 05:19 | 0°34′ | 10° | 10° |
| Brisbane, Australia | AEST (UTC+10) | Apr 25, 04:47 | Apr 25, 04:51 | Apr 25, 04:47 | 0°27′ | 10° | 10° |
| Auckland, New Zealand | NZST (UTC+12) | Apr 25, 05:26 | Apr 25, 05:27 | Apr 25, 05:26 | 0°24′ | 10° | 10° |
- Visibility start: Both Venus and Neptune are at least 10° above the horizon, and the Sun is at least 18° below the horizon.
- Best time: Venus and Neptune appear closest within the listed visibility window.
- Visibility end: Venus drops below 10°, Neptune drops below 10°, or the Sun rises above −18°.
- Separation and planet altitudes are provided for the “best time”.
Triple conjunction 2027: Venus and Mercury
The inferior planets Venus and Mercury will meet three times within a short period, forming a triple conjunction. The visibility conditions and the planets’ positions in the sky will vary for each encounter, so not all of them will be equally easy to observe. Full details about each planetary conjunction are listed below.
July 1, 2027: First encounter in the Venus-Mercury triple conjunction
- Close approach time: 07:53 GMT (03:48 EDT)
- Close approach distance: 4°33′
- Conjunction time: 10:42 GMT (06:42 EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 4°35′
On July 1, Venus (mag –3.8) and Mercury (mag 3.4) will lie close together very low in the pre-dawn sky. Mercury will be difficult to observe because the pair remains close to the Sun. Venus will be located in the constellation Taurus, while Mercury will be in Orion. At this time, Mercury will be in retrograde motion, contributing to the unusual three-part meeting of the two planets.
August 11, 2027: Second encounter in the Venus-Mercury triple conjunction
- Conjunction time: 01:39 GMT (August 10, 21:39 EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 0°32′
- Close approach time: 06:25 GMT (02:25 EDT)
- Close approach distance: 0°31′
Just over a month later, Venus and Mercury will meet again, this time at a much smaller angular distance. However, the August event occurs right around their superior solar conjunctions: Mercury on August 11 and Venus on August 12. Both planets will be too close to the Sun to observe and will be lost in its glare.
October 10, 2027: Final encounter in the Venus-Mercury triple conjunction
- Conjunction time: 13:05 GMT (09:05 EDT)
- Conjunction distance: 4°10′
- Close approach time: October 11, 14:14 GMT (10:17 EDT)
- Close approach distance: 3°47′
The final event of the triple conjunction occurs on October 10, when Venus (mag –3.8) and Mercury (mag 1.1) will appear low in the evening sky. Both planets will be located in the constellation Virgo. At this time, Mercury will be in retrograde motion.
What is a planetary conjunction?
In simple words, a planetary conjunction occurs when two or more planets appear close to each other in the sky. Such proximity of planets is an optical illusion — in reality, they are very far away from each other.
From an astronomical point of view, a conjunction happens when celestial objects share the same right ascension or ecliptic longitude in the sky.
To really understand what a conjunction is, let's also break down what right ascension and ecliptic longitude are.
Right ascension is the celestial equivalent of longitude, measured eastward along the celestial equator.
Ecliptic is an imaginary line that marks the Sun’s apparent path across the sky during a year. Ecliptic longitude is measured along the ecliptic eastwards from the Sun’s position at the March equinox. For a clearer understanding of celestial coordinates, explore our dedicated infographic.
When planets are at their closest angular separation, this is called a close approach. A close approach and a conjunction often occur close together, but not always, so don't confuse these events!
The apparent distance between objects during a conjunction can vary greatly. Sometimes they can be about 9° apart — roughly the width of your fist held at arm’s length. But in especially close conjunctions they can appear less than 0.5° apart — smaller than the apparent diameter of the Full Moon.
A conjunction can include other celestial objects besides planets — for example, moons, asteroids, or stars. In our article, we list the upcoming conjunctions of the Moon and planets, so you can learn which planet is close to the Moon tonight.
Planetary conjunction and planetary alignment: what’s the difference?
Some people confuse a planetary conjunction and a planetary alignment, sometimes referred to as a “planet parade.” In an alignment, several planets are visible along the ecliptic at the same time and may be spread across a wide area of the sky. Interestingly, some planets can simultaneously be in conjunction with each other while also part of a planetary alignment.
One upcoming planet parade is the planetary alignment around November 14, 2026, when four planets will appear across the morning sky.
Curious about planetary alignments and when to see the next planetary parade? Check out our regularly updated infographic!
What is a triple conjunction?
A triple conjunction is an astronomical event in which the same two celestial objects — two planets, or a planet and a star — appear to meet three times within a relatively short period (over a few weeks or months). This happens because their apparent motion changes as seen from Earth, often when one or both objects go retrograde. As their apparent directions change, the objects can move past each other, separate, and then come close again, producing three distinct conjunctions instead of just one.
Triple conjunctions should not be confused with planetary alignments, where multiple planets gather along the ecliptic in the sky. Unlike alignments, a triple conjunction only involves two celestial objects repeatedly meeting in the sky.
There are three main types of triple conjunctions between planets:
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Between inferior planets: These occur almost every time Venus passes behind the Sun (superior conjunction), but the second conjunction is usually hidden in the Sun’s glare. Less frequently, they occur when both planets pass between the Earth and the Sun (inferior conjunction), but again, the second conjunction is often unobservable. The next conjunction of this type is the triple conjunction of Mercury and Venus in 2027.
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Between an inferior planet and a superior planet: The triple conjunctions of this type happen when an inferior planet is in its retrograde phase while a superior planet is near conjunction with the Sun. Typically, the second conjunction happens when the inferior planet is too close to the Sun to be seen. However, if bright planets like Venus and Jupiter are involved, all three conjunctions may be easily visible.
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Between two superior planets: These occur about once every 10 years, too, but those featuring only bright planets (Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn) are extremely rare and occur at irregular intervals, often separated by many decades or more. All three conjunctions can typically be observed in this type of triple conjunction. Both planets, being outside Earth’s orbit, reach opposition to the Sun in the sky near that period, so none of the three meetings are lost in the Sun’s glare.
What is a Great Conjunction?
A Great Conjunction is a conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter. It’s called “great” because it’s the rarest conjunction between naked-eye planets. Saturn and Jupiter move slowly around the Sun and meet roughly every 20 years when Jupiter “overtakes” Saturn in its orbit. The most recent Great Conjunction took place in 2020, when the two planets appeared just 0.1° apart, the closest since 1623. Next time, a Great Conjunction will occur on November 5, 2040.
Locating planets with Sky Tonight
You can easily locate planets in the sky above you with the help of Sky Tonight. Just follow these steps:
- Launch the app and type the name of the planet you're looking for in the search bar.
- Tap the blue target button next to the relevant result, and the app will show you the planet's location on the sky map.
- Tap the blue compass button to find the planet's actual position in the sky above you. A white arrow will appear on your screen, so you can follow it until you spot the planet. The app's image matches the real sky.
Conjunction of planets: FAQ
When is the next planetary conjunction in 2026?
The next conjunction occurs on November 15, when Jupiter and Mars appear close together in the night sky. Look for the pair in the constellation Leo, near the Sickle asterism. Both planets will rise late at night and climb higher toward dawn, making them easy to spot with the naked eye. On November 15–16, they will appear just over 1° apart, offering a great viewing opportunity for observers in both hemispheres. Use the free Sky Tonight app to locate the planets and explore more celestial events.
When is the next triple conjunction?
The next triple conjunction is the Venus–Mercury triple conjunction of 2027. The two planets will meet three times over several months: on July 1, 2027, August 11, 2027, and October 10, 2027.
When is the next Great Conjunction?
A Great Conjunction is a conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter, two of the big and bright Solar System planets. In 2026, there is no Great Conjunction. The next Great Conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter will occur on November 5, 2040.
What’s the difference between a planetary conjunction and a close approach?
A planetary conjunction occurs when two planets share the same right ascension or ecliptic longitude. A close approach refers to the moment when the planets are at their smallest apparent distance in the sky, even if no conjunction takes place.
Planetary conjunction 2026–2027: bottom line
Planetary conjunctions are beautiful events when planets appear close together in the sky. From an astronomical point of view, they occur when objects share the same right ascension or ecliptic longitude. Need help finding them? The Sky Tonight app makes it super easy to locate planets and enjoy the night sky. Happy stargazing!
Learn when to see conjunctions of planets with the Moon
Conjunctions don’t only happen between planets. They can also occur when a planet appears close to the Moon, creating bright and eye-catching sights in the sky. Many conjunctions of the Moon with bright planets are easy to see without special equipment. Find out when to spot upcoming Moon–planet conjunctions and what planet is near the Moon tonight.
