The moon will meet Venus on the evening of December 4, Saturn on the evening of December 7, Uranus on the evening of December 12, Jupiter on the evening of December 14, Mars on the morning of December 18, and Mercury on the morning of December 28. Details are given below.
Conjunction of the moon and planet
A conjunction of the moon and planet is an astronomical event in which the moon and a planet meet in the sky.
The planets are actually far apart in space compared to the moon. However they meet in the sky because the moon and planets approximately follow a similar path across the sky. This path is known as the ecliptic.
In fact, the ecliptic shows the orbital plane of planets in the sky because the planets orbit around the sun in approximately the same plane.
Now, the moon and planet are visible close together in the sky during a conjunction of the moon and planet. However, in rare cases, the moon passes in front of a planet in the sky, creating a lunar occultation. In our dedicated article, you will find details about the upcoming lunar occultation of planets.
How often does the conjunction of the moon and planet occur?
The moon takes 27.322 days to complete one orbit around the Earth with respect to the background stars. This is called a sidereal month.
However, in 27.322 days, a planet moves a little from its previous position along the ecliptic with respect to the background stars.
For the faster-moving planets like Mercury and Venus, the moon takes around 30 days to catch the planets in the sky. For example, the moon will meet Venus on December 4, 2024, and after that it will meet Venus again on January 3, 2025.
However, for the slower-moving planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, the moon takes a little over 27.322 days to catch the planets in the sky. For example, the moon will meet Saturn on December 7, 2024, and after that it will meet Saturn again on January 4, 2025.
Venus near the moon on the evening of December 4
The 14% illuminated waxing crescent moon will meet Venus in the constellation Sagittarius on the evening of December 4, 2024.
The moon and Venus will set together around 3 hours after sunset on December 4, 2024. So look at the southwestern sky in the early evening hours following sunset to see the moon and Venus nearby.
Venus will be easier to spot in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere for this evening apparition.
In the southern hemisphere, it will remain a decent height above the horizon after sunset due to the higher slope of the ecliptic.
Venus will be the brightest planet in the evening sky. It will shine with a magnitude of -4.1 on the evening of December 4, 2024.
You need a self-guiding telescope to see the phase of Venus. On that day, Venus will be in its waning gibbous phase and 66% illuminated.
Saturn near the moon on the evening of December 7
The 42% illuminated waxing crescent moon will meet Saturn in the consternation Aquarius on the evening of December 7, 2024.
The moon and Saturn will set together around an hour before midnight on December 7, 2024. So look at the southern sky in the early evening hours to see the moon and Saturn nearby.
Saturn looks golden in the sky because its rings reflect more sunlight due to their high phase angle.
The bright star Fomalhaut will be visible below the moon and Saturn on the evening of December 7, 2024.
Uranus near the moon on the evening of December 12
The 92% illuminated waxing gibbous moon will meet Uranus in the constellation Taurus on the evening of December 12, 2024.
The moon and Uranus will rise together around a couple of hours before sunset on December 12, 2024. So look at the eastern sky in the evening hours to see the moon and Uranus nearby.
As Uranus shines at the edge of naked-eye visibility, it is hardly visible to the unaided eye unless you have clear eyesight and a very dark sky.
You can use a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to enhance visibility. Uranus appears pale greenish blue when viewed through binoculars or a telescope.
On that day, bright Jupiter will be visible to the lower left of the moon and Uranus.
Jupiter near the moon on the evening of December 14
The 99% illuminated waxing gibbous moon will meet Jupiter in the constellation Taurus on the evening of December 14, 2024.
The moon and Jupiter will rise together around 30 minutes before sunset on December 14, 2024. So look at the eastern sky in the evening hours to see the moon and Jupiter nearby.
Jupiter will be the second brightest planet in the evening sky after Venus. It will shine with a magnitude of -2.6 on the evening of December 14, 2024.
Venus will be visible on the opposite sky of Jupiter, i.e., on the western sky, and shine with a magnitude of -4.1 on the evening of December 14, 2024.
Aldebaran is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus, and it will be located to the right of the moon and Jupiter.
Mars near the moon on the morning of December 18
The 89% illuminated waning gibbous moon will meet Mars in the constellation Cancer on the morning of December 18, 2024.
The moon and Mars will rise together around 3 hours after sunset on December 17, 2024. So look at the western sky in the early morning hours preceding sunrise on December 18, 2024, to see the moon and Mars nearby.
Mars appears reddish in the sky due to the presence of a huge amount of iron oxide on its surface.
Pollux and Castor, the twin stars of the constellation Gemini, will be visible to the lower right of the moon and Mars on the morning of December 18, 2024. In Greek mythology, Pollux and Castor were twin brothers born to Queen Leda of Sparta by two different fathers.
Mercury near the moon on the morning of December 28
The 6% illuminated waning crescent moon will meet Mercury in the constellation Ophiuchus on the morning of December 28, 2024.
The moon and Mercury will rise together around 90 minutes before sunrise on December 28, 2024. So look in the morning twilight to see the moon and Mercury nearby.
Mercury will be easier to spot in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere for this morning apparition.
In the southern hemisphere, it will climb a decent height above the horizon before sunrise due to the higher slope of the ecliptic.
You need a self-guiding telescope to see the phase of Mercury. On that day, Mercury will be in its waxing gibbous phase and 71% illuminated.
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