Close approach of the Moon and Jupiter

Following last week’s full moon, the moon will spend this week waning and rising later while it swings toward next week’s meet-up with the sun (new moon). At this time of the moon’s monthly cycle, it will be rising after midnight and lingering into the morning daytime sky.

On Wednesday morning, the waning gibbous moon and Jupiter will share the same right ascension, with the Moon passing 1°53' to the north of Jupiter. The duo will be too widely separated to fit within the field of view of a telescope, but will be visible to the naked eye and through a pair of binoculars.

The Moon will be at mag -12.1, and Jupiter at mag -2.2, both in the constellation Ophiuchus. At around the same time, the two objects will also share the same right ascension – called a conjunction.

Just after midnight on Wednesday, the moon will reach its last quarter phase, when it will appear half illuminated.