Mercury–Jupiter conjunction June 2026: All you need to know

Conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter in June 2026

When it occurs: A conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter will occur on June 25, 2026, when the two planets will appear only about 3.8° apart.

When to see: Start watching them near the western horizon shortly after sunset from mid-to-late June, when bright Jupiter will appear to move toward dimmer Mercury. They will appear closest on the evening of June 25.

After the conjunction, both planets will move closer to the western horizon each day, becoming fainter and more difficult to spot. Mercury will fade into the sunset glare at the end of June, while Jupiter will disappear into the sunset glare sometime in early July.

How to see it: First, spot Venus, the brightest planet, in the western sky about 45 to 60 minutes after sunset. It is hard to miss, as it appears much brighter than any star in the night sky. Now look well below Venus to find Jupiter, the second-brightest planet. After spotting Jupiter, look below it to see Mercury. Mercury will appear much fainter than Venus and Jupiter.

You will need a clear sky and an unobstructed view of the western horizon to see Mercury and Jupiter. Through a telescope, Mercury will appear 20% illuminated and will be in its waning crescent phase on the evening of June 25, 2026.

When does a conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter occur?

A conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter occurs when the two planets align in space from Earth’s perspective, even though they are still millions of miles apart.

How often does a conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter occur?

A similar conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter occurs once every 2 years and 2 months. Here, “similar conjunction” refers to the interval between two successive evening conjunctions or two successive morning conjunctions.

However, the interval from one evening conjunction to the next morning conjunction is about 2 months, while the interval from one morning conjunction to the next evening conjunction is about 2 years.

For example, after the evening conjunction on June 25, 2026, the next Mercury–Jupiter conjunction will occur about 2 months later, on August 15, 2026, and it will be a morning conjunction.

Here are the dates of Mercury–Jupiter conjunctions from 2026 to 2030:

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