Conjunction of the moon and planet
A conjunction of the moon and planet is an astronomical event in which the moon and planet appear close together in the sky.
Sometimes, as a special case of conjunction, 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.
The planets are actually far apart in space compared to the moon. However, they appear close together in the sky because the moon and planets approximately follow a similar path across the sky. This path is known as the ecliptic.
How often does the conjunction of the moon and planet occur?
The conjunction of the moon and planet occurs roughly once a month.
The moon takes about 27.322 days to orbit Earth with respect to the background stars in the sky. However, in 27.322 days, a planet moves slightly along the ecliptic from its previous position.
For fast-moving planets like Mercury and Venus, the moon takes about 30 days to meet the planet in the sky.
For slow-moving planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, the moon takes a little over 27.322 days to meet the planet in the sky.
Conjunction vs. appulse
The close approach of two celestial objects in the sky, like two planets, the moon and a planet, or the moon and a star, is commonly called a conjunction. We will often use this term in this article.
However, a conjunction has a more technical meaning. It is the time when two celestial objects share the same right ascension or ecliptic longitude in the sky. Right ascension and declination define the position of a celestial object in the sky, similar to how longitude and latitude define the position of an object on Earth’s surface.
The technically correct term, when two celestial objects appear closest in the sky, is appulse. In the case of an appulse, it is not necessary that the two celestial objects have the same space coordinates.
Jupiter near the moon on the evening of February 6

The 64% illuminated waxing gibbous moon and Jupiter will appear close together in the sky on the evening of February 6, 2025, creating a conjunction. They will meet in the zodiac constellation Taurus.
The moon and Jupiter will set together around an hour after midnight on February 7, 2025. Look for them in the southern sky in the early evening hours after sunset on February 6, 2025. Jupiter will be visible below the moon.
Jupiter will be the second brightest planet in the evening sky after Venus. It will shine with a magnitude of -2.3 on the evening of February 6, 2025.
Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus, will be visible below the moon and Jupiter on the evening of February 6, 2025.
Mars near the moon on the evening of February 9

The waxing gibbous moon and Mars will appear close together in the sky on the evening of February 9, 2025, creating a conjunction. They will meet in the zodiac constellation Gemini.
The moon and Mars will rise together around 3 hours before sunset on February 9, 2025. Look for them in the eastern sky in the early evening hours after sunset.
Observers in northern Europe, Russia, China, and Greenland will see the moon pass in front of Mars on the evening of February 9, creating a lunar occultation.
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 left of the moon and Mars on the evening of February 9, 2025. In Greek mythology, Pollux and Castor were twin brothers born to Queen Leda of Sparta by two different fathers.
Mercury and Venus near the moon on the evening of March 1

The 5% illuminated waxing crescent moon, Mercury, and Venus will appear close together in the sky on the evening of March 1, 2025, creating a conjunction. They will meet in the zodiac constellation Pisces.
Mercury will set around 90 minutes after sunset on March 1, 2025. Look for them near the western horizon around 45 minutes after sunset.
Mercury will be easier to spot in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere for this evening apparition. In the northern hemisphere, it will remain a decent height above the horizon after sunset due to the higher slope of the ecliptic.
You need a self-guiding telescope to see the phase of Mercury. On this day, Mercury will be in its waning gibbous phase and 72% illuminated.
Venus will appear much brighter than Mercury. It will be visible above the moon and Mercury on the evening of March 1, 2025.
Venus near the moon on the evening of March 2

The 12% illuminated waxing crescent moon and Venus will appear close together in the sky on the evening of March 2, 2025, creating a conjunction. They will meet in the zodiac constellation Pisces.
Venus will set around a couple of hours after sunset on March 2, 2025. Look for them near the western horizon around an hour after sunset.
Venus will be easier to spot in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere for this evening apparition. In the northern hemisphere, it will appear higher in the sky after sunset due to the higher slope of the ecliptic.
Venus will be the brightest planet in the evening sky. It will be very bright, brighter than all the stars in the night sky. It will shine with a magnitude of -4.4 on the evening of March 2, 2025.
You will need a self-guided telescope to see the phases of Venus. On this day, Venus will be in its waning crescent phase and 13% illuminated.
Uranus near the moon on the evening of March 4

The 31% illuminated waxing crescent moon and Uranus will appear close together in the sky on the evening of March 4, 2025, creating a conjunction. They will meet in the zodiac constellation Aries.
The moon and Uranus will set together around an hour before midnight on March 4, 2025. Look for them in the western sky in the early evening hours after sunset. Uranus will be visible to the left of the moon.
If you live in a rural area, Uranus will be visible to the naked eye. It will appear as the faintest visible star to the naked eye.
However, if you live in an urban or semi-urban area, you will need a pair of binoculars or a telescope to see Uranus. It will appear a pale greenish blue through a telescope.
Bright Jupiter will be visible to the upper left of the moon and Uranus on the evening of March 4, 2025.
Venus and Saturn near the moon on the morning of April 25

The 8% illuminated waning crescent moon, Venus, and Saturn will appear close together in the sky on the morning of April 25, 2025, creating a conjunction. They will meet in the zodiac constellation Pisces.
The moon, Venus, and Saturn will rise together around 90 minutes before sunrise on April 25, 2025. Look for them near the eastern horizon around 45 minutes before sunrise.
Venus will appear much brighter than Saturn. It will be visible above the moon and Saturn on the morning of April 25, 2025.
Saturn appears golden in the sky due to the presence of ammonia crystals in its atmosphere. In addition, Saturn’s icy rings, which reflect most of the sunlight that falls on it, contribute to its golden appearance.
Not only that, elusive Mercury will appear to the lower left of the moon, Venus, and Saturn on the morning of April 25, 2025.
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