Conjunction of Mars and Uranus in July 2026
When it occurs: A close conjunction of Mars and Uranus will occur on July 4, 2026, when the two planets will appear only about 0.1° apart.
When to see: Start watching them low in the eastern sky shortly before sunrise from the beginning of July, when Uranus will appear to move toward reddish Mars. They will appear closest on the morning of July 4, when Uranus will sit just above Mars.
After the conjunction, Uranus will climb even higher and move away from Mars each day. Meanwhile, Mars will also climb higher, but more slowly than Uranus. A slim waning crescent moon will appear near Mars and Uranus on the morning of July 11.
How to see: The planetary pair will be easily visible through binoculars or a telescope. They will appear in the same field of view, with Mars shining at magnitude +1.3 and Uranus at magnitude +5.8.
What else to watch: While watching for the Mars–Uranus conjunction, you might also notice the famous Pleiades star cluster nearby.
The star cluster contains over a thousand stars, though only about six bright stars are visible to the naked eye. Through binoculars, you can see a few dozen stars.
How often does a conjunction of Mars and Uranus occur?
A conjunction of Mars and Uranus occurs roughly once every two years. This happens because Mars orbits the sun much faster (about 1.88 years) than Uranus (about 84 years), allowing the Red Planet to periodically catch up with the distant ice giant in our sky.
Here are the dates of Mars–Uranus conjunctions from 2026 to 2036:
| Date of conjunction | Visibility |
|---|---|
| July 4, 2026 | Morning |
| June 24, 2028 | Morning |
| June 15, 2030 | Invisible (too close to the sun) |
| June 6, 2032 | Invisible (too close to the sun) |
| May 29, 2034 | Evening |
| May 21, 2036 | Evening |
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