Moon’s Conjunctions With Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Saturn
What does a conjunction with the Moon mean?
In astronomy, a conjunction is an apparent event that occurs when two or more space objects are visible very close to each other. In general, conjunctions take place between the Moon and planets (Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn).
Obviously, planets don’t get closer to the Moon in space — it would indeed cause a significant impact on the Solar System. The space objects only seem to be close in the sky for the observers from the Earth.
How to see a Moon-planet conjunction?
Here is what you need to know in advance:
- Space objects rise and set time for your location. There is a possibility that an object will rise above the horizon during the daytime, so you won’t be able to see it at all.
- The Moon phase. The fully illuminated lunar disk is, without doubt, an exciting view, but it also hides some relatively faint objects that are close to it.
- The space objects’ trajectory across the sky. It will help you to visualize the future movement of space objects.
Remember that depending on your timezone, you might miss the exact moment of conjunction, but you still have a chance to catch a planet close to the Moon.
Use our stargazing apps to quickly learn all the necessary information, like an object’s set and rise times or the Moon phase. Track the space objects’ path across the sky over time to predict their position for your location or find out the name of any bright dot above your head.
February conjunctions
February 2: Moon-Jupiter conjunction
The beginning of February brings us the conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter. On February 2, at 21:08 GMT (4:08 p.m. EST), our natural satellite will pass 4°19' to the south of the planet. The Moon will be barely visible in the sky as it reached its new phase only a day ago. Jupiter, one of the most noticeable planets in the sky, will have a magnitude of -2.0. Find the space objects in the constellation Aquarius.
February 27: Moon-Venus conjunction
On February 27, 2022, at 6:30 GMT (1:30 a.m. EST), the spectacular conjunction of the Moon (magnitude -10.7) and Venus (-4.6) will occur. The thin, only 13% illuminated lunar disk will pass 8°44' to the south of the most luminous planet; look for them in the constellation Sagittarius.
The duo will be visible in the pre-dawn sky: as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, Venus climbs above the horizon first, and then the nearly New Moon rises shortly before sunrise. Observation conditions will be better from the southern latitudes — the duo there becomes visible earlier (around 4 a.m. local time), giving observers more time to enjoy the view before sunrise.
February 27: Moon-Mars conjunction
On the same night, spot the Moon and Mars close together. The exact time of the conjunction is February 27, 2022, 09:00 GMT (4:00 a.m. EST); at this moment, the apparent distance between our natural satellite and the Red Planet will be only 3°31'. You’ll find the space objects in the constellation Sagittarius. Although Mars is much dimmer than Venus, it stays within the naked-eye visibility range, shining at a magnitude of 1.3.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, start observations an hour before sunrise. Thus you’ll see Mars, Venus, and the Moon line up in the sky. People from the Southern Hemisphere can see them earlier, at around 4 a.m. local time.
February 28: Moon-Mercury conjunction
On February 28, at 20:07 GMT (3:07 p.m. EST), the Moon and Mercury will meet again. At the moment of conjunction, the apparent distance between the two objects will be 3°43'. Bright Mercury will have a magnitude of -0.1; the Moon will approach its new phase and become almost invisible in the sky. Both celestial bodies will be located in the constellation Capricornus.
February 28: Moon-Saturn conjunction
On February 28, at 23:47 GMT (6:47 p.m. EST), the conjunction of the 6% illuminated Moon and Saturn will occur. They will pass close to each other in the constellation Capricornus, separated by a distance of 4°17'. Saturn will shine a bit dimmer than Mercury — with a magnitude of 0.7.
Saturn has just recently passed solar conjunction and is still located not so far away from the Sun. Observers can currently see it in the pre-dawn hours, low above the horizon. The Moon moving towards its new phase on March 2, also remains close to the Sun and rises shortly before it.
This was all you needed to know about the planetary conjunctions with the Moon, including the related upcoming events. If you enjoyed the article, share it on social media.
Wishing you clear skies and happy observations!
