December 2024: What Planet is Next to the Moon Tonight?

Dec 23, 2024

~8 min

The Moon getting close to a planet is one of the easiest astronomical events to observe: the lunar disc and most of the Solar System planets (e.g. Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn) are visible to the naked eye, so you don’t need any special skills or complex equipment. The only thing you need to know is the date and time of the Moon's approach to a planet. Check the Calendar in the Sky Tonight app or read this article to learn when to see a planet near the Moon.

What is the dot next to the Moon tonight?

From December 23 to 29, the Moon will visit the constellations Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, and Sagittarius. This week, the brightest dot near the Moon will be Mercury (mag -0.4). The most prominent star near our natural satellite will be Spica from Virgo and Antares from Scorpius. As the New Moon occurs next week (on December 30), the Moon will be waning each day.

What do astronomers call the approach of the Moon to the planet?

In this article, you'll come across several types of celestial events. They all involve the relative positions of the Moon and celestial objects and occur close together in time. However, they differ in detail. Here is what each one means.

Closest approach (appulse)

Closest approach or appulse happens when two celestial objects have the smallest apparent distance as seen from the Earth. For the Moon and planets, appulse often takes place close to conjunction.

Conjunction

Conjunction occurs when two celestial objects have the same apparent right ascension or ecliptic longitude in the sky. In everyday language, the terms “conjunction” and “closest approach” are often used interchangeably. However, conjunction has a more technical meaning and does not necessarily occur with every appulse.

Moon-planet conjunctions occur frequently. Once every 27.3 days, our natural satellite passes through a narrow part of the sky centered on the ecliptic and encounters planets. Planetary conjunctions are less frequent; you can learn more about them in our separate article.

Occultation

Occultation takes place when a celestial body with a greater apparent diameter passes in front of a body with a smaller apparent diameter; for example, when the Moon passes in front of a star or planet. The occultation of the Sun by the Moon is called a solar eclipse. Each lunar occultation is only visible from some parts of the Earth. That's because the exact position of the Moon in the sky varies by up to 2° at different locations.

Observations

How to spot planets next to the Moon?

Here are some things to keep in mind for successful observations.

You may miss the exact time of conjunction or closest approach, but don't worry! Even before or after the exact moment of the event, the objects will stay relatively close together, and that's just as worth observing.
Depending on the angular distance between the objects, some events should be seen with a telescope and some with binoculars. In general, a good 10×50 binocular will give you a 6-7° field of view; for telescopes, this figure varies — it could be less than 1°. You can calculate the field of view of your optics yourself. And, of course, you can also observe an event with the naked eye.
When the Moon is close to its full phase, it outshines fainter objects, so the planets and stars near the Full Moon may appear not as bright as they usually do.
A bright object near the Moon can be a star or a planet. To know for sure which one you're seeing, use Sky Tonight: point your device at the object in question, and the app will tell you its name.

Jupiter and Venus (sometimes Mars and Saturn, too) are way brighter than most stars. You can tell the planets apart by their colors:

Mercury is gray or brownish;
Venus is pale yellow;
Mars is pale pink or bright red;
Jupiter is orange;
Saturn is gold.

To identify an object or find out when objects are closest together for your exact location, use the free stargazing tools — Sky Tonight or Star Walk 2.

Sky Tonight app

To identify an object in the sky with the help of Sky Tonight, follow these steps:

Step 1. Open Sky Tonight and point your device at the sky or tap the big blue button. A live representation of what you see in the sky will appear on the screen, and the app will start to follow your movements.

Step 2. Point your device at the part of the sky where the object is located. For convenience, you can limit the visual magnitude so that only those objects that can be seen with the naked eye appear on the screen. To do this, tap the panel at the bottom of the screen and drag the top slider to the left, closer to the eye icon. From this panel, you can also turn on the night mode, change the constellation appearance, and more.

Step 3. Now you can identify the bright object and get information about it by tapping on its name.

You can also watch our detailed video tutorial.

Star Walk 2 app

To identify an object in the sky with the help of Star Walk 2, follow these steps:

Step 1. Open Star Walk 2 and point your device at the sky or tap the compass icon in the top left corner of the screen. A live representation of what you see in the sky will appear on the screen, and the app will start to follow your movements.

Step 2. Point your device at the part of the sky where the object is located. For convenience, drag the slider on the left down until only the objects you can see in the sky remain on the screen.

Step 3. Now you can identify the bright object and get information about it by tapping on its name at the bottom of the screen.

You can also watch our detailed video tutorial. Find more videos in the Tutorials section.

How to photograph the Moon with planets?

You can take a picture of a planet near the Moon with a professional camera or even a smartphone. Here are some tips to help you:

Check the weather forecast. Open the Sky Tonight app and tap the telescope icon at the bottom. You'll see two tabs — Stargazing Index and Weather. Select the latter and find the date with cloudless weather, so clouds don't interfere with your night of astrophotography.
Find out when objects are well-placed for your location. In Sky Tonight, tap the magnifier icon at the bottom. Enter the name of the object you're interested in and tap the target icon next to the corresponding search result. When the app shows you the object's location, use the panel at the top to scroll through time and determine the best time to take the picture.
Set up a frame. Determine the apparent distance between the Moon and the planet and find their altitude using Sky Tonight. Next, define a rectangle large enough to fit everything you want in the frame, but leave yourself some room. Then use a field of view calculator to find the right lens size for the coverage.
Bring something else into the shot. It could be a tree or a small house, depending on your surroundings. Here is an example of how a target in the foreground improves a shot. Use the AR mode in Sky Tonight to superimpose the image of the night sky on your background. Tap the big blue button on the main screen for this.
Use a tripod. It will help your camera to stay still and take several pictures from the same angle.

Planets next to the Moon in December 2024

*The percentage of Moon illumination is for London. To find out the Moon illumination percentage for your location, check the lunar calendar.

December 29: Mercury near the Moon

Close approach time: 03:01 GMT
Close approach distance: 6°21'

On December 29, the 2.6%-illuminated Moon and Mercury (mag -0.4) will meet in the constellation Ophiuchus. The planet will be visible before sunrise without any optical aid. As the event will occur one day before the New Moon, the lunar disc will be barely visible.

Planets next to the Moon in January 2025

*The percentage of Moon illumination is for London. To find out the Moon illumination percentage for your location, check the lunar calendar.

January 3: Venus near the Moon

Conjunction time: 15:24 GMT (10:24 a.m. EST)
Conjunction distance: 1°30'
Close approach time: 16:21 GMT (11:21 a.m. EST)
Close approach distance: 1°18'

On January 3, the 15.5%-illuminated Moon and Venus (mag -4.5) will meet in the constellation Aquarius. The planet will be visible after sunset without any optical aid. As the event will occur four days after the New Moon, the lunar crescent will be thin.

January 4: Saturn near the Moon; lunar occultation of Saturn

Occultation start: 14:57 GMT (9:57 a.m. EST)
Occultation end: 18:44 GMT (1:44 p.m. EST)
Conjunction time: 17:18 GMT (12:18 p.m. EST)
Conjunction distance: 0°42'
Close approach time: 16:56 GMT (11:56 a.m. EST)
Close approach distance: 0°36'

On January 4, the 24.7%-illuminated Moon and Saturn (mag 1.1) will meet in the constellation Aquarius. The planet will rise during the daytime and climb high by the sunset. Also, a lunar occultation of Saturn will be visible over Europe, Africa, western Russia, and eastern Greenland.

January 5: Neptune near the Moon; lunar occultation of Neptune

Occultation start: 13:05 GMT (8:05 a.m. EST)
Occultation end: 15:36 GMT (10:36 a.m. EST)
Close approach time: 14:30 GMT (9:30 a.m. EST)
Close approach distance: 1°01'

On January 5, the 35.4%-illuminated Moon and Neptune (mag 7.9) will meet in the constellation Pisces. The planet will rise in the evening and will be visible in binoculars. Also, a lunar occultation of Neptune will be observable from western Russia and eastern Svalbard.

January 9: Uranus near the Moon

Close approach time: 14:00 GMT (9:00 a.m. EST)
Close approach distance: 4°17'

On January 9, the 80.3%-illuminated Moon and Uranus (mag 5.7) will meet in the constellation Aries. The planet will rise during the daytime and climb high by the sunset. Note that Uranus is rather faint to be observed without any optical aid, so it’s best to bring a pair of binoculars.

January 10: Jupiter near the Moon

Close approach time: 22:01 GMT (6:01 p.m. EST)
Close approach distance: 5°22'

On January 10, the 88.7%-illuminated Moon and Jupiter (mag -2.7) will meet in the constellation Taurus. The planet will rise in the evening and will be visible to the naked eye.

January 14: Mars near the Moon; lunar occultation of Mars

Occultation start: 01:44 GMT (January 13, 8:44 p.m. EST)
Occultation end: 05:53 GMT (00:53 a.m. EST)
Conjunction time: 03:42 GMT (10:42 p.m. EST)
Conjunction distance: 0°12'
Close approach time: 03:48 GMT (10:48 p.m. EST)
Close approach distance: 0°13'

On January 14, the 99.9%-illuminated Moon and Mars (mag 0.2) will meet in the constellation Gemini. The planet will rise in the evening and will be visible to the naked eye. Also, a lunar occultation of Mars will be observable from North and South America and Africa.

January 28: Mercury near the Moon

Close approach time: 21:45 GMT (4:45 p.m. EST)
Close approach distance: 2°27'

On January 28, the 1.6%-illuminated Moon and Mercury (mag -0.8) will meet in the constellation Sagittarius. Both objects will appear in the sky almost simultaneously with the Sun and, therefore, will be unobservable.

What planet is closest to the Moon in the sky: Bottom line

Now you know what those bright dots near the Moon are. To view the planets and stars near our natural satellite, choose a cloudless night and use Star Walk 2 or Sky Tonight to learn when the celestial objects are best placed for your location. For a visual explanation, watch our recently released video on how to identify bright objects near the Moon using the Sky Tonight app, step by step.

Here, you can learn about past conjunctions of the Moon and planets:

Wishing you clear skies and happy observations!

Text Credit:Vito Technology, Inc.

Topics:Planets & Moons Moon Skywatching