Jupiter and Mars align overnight in rare view until 2029

A rare celestial alignment

Stargazers can watch Mars and Jupiter make a close approach in the night sky over the night of Nov. 15-16. The two planets will appear just over one degree apart from Earth’s vantage point. They will not appear this close to each other again until July 2029.

For skywatchers in the U.S., the planets will rise over the eastern horizon around midnight. They will sit near the bright star Regulus, which glows below them in the constellation Leo. The event is an optical illusion caused by perspective. In reality, Mars and Jupiter are separated by more than 368 million miles, or 592 million kilometers. Meanwhile, light from Regulus travels roughly 79 light-years to reach Earth.

Understanding the cosmic view

This type of close pairing happens every two to two and a half years as Mars catches up to Jupiter in its wider orbit. Astronomers refer to this visible alignment as an appulse. Because both Mars and Jupiter orbit farther from the Sun than Earth does, they are known as superior planets. From Earth, their visible disks always appear fully illuminated, unlike inner planets such as Venus or Mercury which show phases like the Moon.

Small telescopes with a six-inch aperture can reveal the distinct surfaces of both worlds. Viewers can see Jupiter’s dark cloud bands and light zones formed by ammonia and water moving through hydrogen and helium. Telescopes focused on Mars show a reddish surface featuring darker regions where wind has cleared away iron-rich dust from the underlying basaltic rock.