Mars approaches Jupiter in the sky

Each morning in November, between 6 and 7 o'clock, Mars appears to move slightly closer to Jupiter above the southeastern horizon, eventually overtaking it on November 15. This celestial event is visible to the naked eye, without the need for binoculars or a telescope.

Observing conditions and timing

To see this phenomenon, observers must stay up late or get up very early, as the planets are visible in the early morning sky. Mars completes its orbit around the Sun in 687 days, while Jupiter takes nearly twelve years, which makes Mars appear to move more quickly among the stars.

Historical context of planets

The word "planet" comes from the Greek "planêtês," meaning "wanderer," as ancient observers noted the movement of these celestial bodies among the fixed stars. Mars moves visibly over a few mornings, while Jupiter's movement is much slower and takes weeks to notice.

Distance and visibility of the planets

On November 15 and 16, Mars and Jupiter are about one degree apart in the sky, roughly twice the width of a full Moon. Jupiter is the brightest celestial body after the Moon, with a pale yellow tint, while Mars is much dimmer and has an orange-red color. They are visible even from cities with clear southeastern horizons.

Using binoculars to view the planets

With binoculars, both planets can be seen side by side in the same field of view, highlighting their color difference. In space, the two planets are separated by nearly 600 million kilometers, but from Earth, this appears as a close conjunction, a term used by astronomers to describe such an alignment.

Other celestial events in November

On November 2, the last quarter Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Regulus are aligned above the southeastern horizon. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo, and Jupiter is positioned between Regulus and Mars. Similar alignments occur again on November 30, with the four celestial bodies forming a parallelogram.

Additional planets in the morning sky

Venus appears above the eastern horizon about thirty minutes before sunrise, visible in the morning until it disappears in the dawn light. Mercury becomes visible starting on November 15 and is best observed between November 20 and 22, when it is farthest from the Sun. By mid-November, four planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter—are visible in the morning sky.

Visibility of Saturn and future planetary alignments

Saturn is visible in the evening sky from sunset until much of the night, making it a good target for night owls. Mars and Jupiter will come closest to Earth in February 2027, when they will appear brighter in the night sky.