Planets next to the Moon in November 2022: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus
This month, we’ll see five lunar-planetary conjunctions with four planets: the Moon will meet Saturn twice and also pass near Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. Check our conjunctions calendar to learn what planet is closest to the Moon right now.
November 1: Moon-Saturn conjunction
On November 1, 2022, at 21:08 GMT (5:08 p.m. EDT), the Moon will pass Saturn at a distance of 4°11'. Grab a pair of binoculars or observe with the naked eye: the planet (magnitude 0.7) will shine brightly near the first quarter Moon in the constellation Capricornus. The celestial bodies will reach the highest point in the sky by 7 p.m. local time. The further south, the higher they will be in the sky.
November 4: Moon-Jupiter conjunction
On November 4, 2022, at 20:19 GMT (4:19 p.m. EDT), observe the Moon near Jupiter in the constellation Pisces. The distance between the two bodies will be 2°23', which is too far to fit within the field of view of a telescope. Luckily, Jupiter (magnitude -2.8) and the waxing gibbous Moon will be the brightest objects in the night sky, so you won’t need optical devices to spot them. By 10 p.m. local time, they will climb the highest above the horizon.
November 11: Moon-Mars conjunction
On November 11, 2022, at 13:43 GMT (8:43 a.m. EST), the waning gibbous Moon will meet Mars (magnitude -1.5) at a distance of 2°27' in the constellation Taurus. The planet is gradually getting brighter: on this day, it will be one month away from its opposition and will even be more prominent than the nearby Aldebaran (magnitude 0.9) and Betelgeuse (magnitude 0.5). You will easily find Mars next to the Moon, even with the naked eye. The pair will rise the highest by 3 a.m. local time.
November 24: Moon-Venus conjunction
On November 24, 2022, at 13:00 GMT (8:00 EST), the Moon will approach Venus by a distance of 2°12'. Unfortunately, the event will be hard to observe as the planet will be close to the Sun and only visible in the southern latitudes for an hour after sunset. Moreover, the conjunction occurs the day after the New Moon, so our natural satellite will be almost invisible.
November 29: Moon-Saturn conjunction
On November 29, 2022, at 04:40 GMT (November 28, 11:40 p.m. EST), the Moon and Saturn will meet again in the constellation Capricornus. The distance between the lunar crescent and the planet (magnitude 0.8) will be 4°09'. Feel free to start your observations after sunset: the two objects will be high in the sky just by this time.
