Moon’s Conjunctions With Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury
In June 2022, the Moon will meet five planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. Read on to learn the exact timing and observing conditions for every conjunction.
June 18: Moon-Saturn conjunction
This month, the first planet to meet the Moon will be Saturn. On June 18, at 12:22 GMT (8:22 a.m. EDT), they will be 4°16' apart. The distance is too wide to fit in a telescope’s field of view, but you might use binoculars or observe them with the naked eye. Saturn will shine at a magnitude of 0.5, and the lunar disk will be 72% illuminated. Both will be in the constellation Capricornus.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Moon and Saturn will be visible low above the horizon for about three hours before dawn. In the Southern Hemisphere, the pair will rise before midnight and be on view all night.
June 21: Moon-Jupiter conjunction
On June 21, at 13:31 GMT (9:31 a.m. EDT), the last-quarter Moon will pass 2°44' from Jupiter (magnitude -2.4). They will meet in the constellation Pisces where you can also spot Mars (magnitude 0.8). The planets will shine bright enough to be observed with the naked eye.
Stargazers from the Northern Hemisphere should start the observations three or four hours before sunrise. In the Southern Hemisphere, the celestial bodies will be moving up from the horizon all night, reaching their maximum point shortly before dawn.
June 22: Moon-Mars conjunction
On June 22, at 18:16 GMT (2:16 p.m EDT), the conjunction of the waning crescent Moon and Mars (magnitude 0.5) will occur. They will meet in the constellation Pisces at 1° from each other. Jupiter (magnitude -2.2) will be nearby and add up to the scene.
Observers from the Northern Hemisphere will have a couple of hours before sunrise to enjoy the Moon and the Red Planet shining low above the horizon. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Moon and Mars will rise at about 1–2 a.m. local time and move higher across the sky all night.
June 26: Moon-Venus conjunction
On June 26, at 08:11 GMT (4:11 a.m EDT), Venus and the barely visible Moon crescent will appear close. The distance between them will be 2°41'. They can be found in the constellation Taurus. No optical devices are needed: Venus will shine at a magnitude of -3.9, bright enough for the unaided eye.
The Moon and Venus will rise shortly before the Sun — you’ll have, at most, two hours for observation. Spot them in the northeast, near the skyline.
June 27: Moon-Mercury conjunction
On the next day, the constellation Taurus will host another conjunction. On June 27, at 08:20 GMT (4:20 a.m. EDT), the Moon will meet Mercury. Our natural satellite will be almost invisible — it will reach the New Moon phase the next day. Mercury will have a magnitude of -0.5 but will still be challenging to observe. It rises only an hour before the Sun and doesn’t have time to climb high above the horizon.
We wish you clear skies and happy observations!
