2024-08-13 13:03:53
New York: Next week, on August 14, two of the solar system’s brightest and most famous planets will be seen passing close to each other. This rare conjunction of Jupiter and Mars can be easily seen in the dark of night. These two planets will be just one-third of a degree apart in the sky. Such occasions in space come very rarely, when two or more planets appear so close to each other. It can be best seen from 2:00 am local time till dawn on Wednesday. During this time, both planets will rise in the northeastern night sky along with the constellation Taurus and will move about 50 degrees above the eastern horizon by dawn.
How to see this amazing sight
Jupiter will be about 20 times brighter than Mars, but both planets will be easily visible with the naked eye in clear skies from anywhere in the world. You can see this event more effectively if you have a stargazing telescope or a small telescope. Looking through binoculars, not only will you see both planets clearly, but you will also be able to easily see Jupiter’s four largest moons. Ganymede and Callisto will be on either side of Jupiter, along with the highly volcanic moon Io and the potentially habitable Europa. Mars will appear slightly above Jupiter and its moons.
How close will the two planets be?
According to EarthSky, when we see both the planets from Earth, it will look like they are located nearby or have come closer. However, the reality is just the opposite. In fact, during this time, Mars will be located about 500 million km ahead of Jupiter towards Earth. In such a situation, when seen from a distance, it will appear that both the planets have come closer. The size of Jupiter is many times bigger than Mars, so despite being located far away, it will appear bigger and brighter.