Planetary Conjunction 2022: Watch Mars and Jupiter Coming Closer to Each Other in the Sky on Memorial Day Weekend

During the long Memorial Day weekend, Mars and Jupiter will make an extraordinarily close meeting in the pre-dawn sky.

The near encounter between the two stars will last three days, so stargazers can choose the morning with the best weather forecast for a chance to witness the planetary conjunction. However, on Sunday, May 29, Mars and Jupiter will be the closest.

(Photo : PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
People wearing face masks watch the sunset as they wait to see the planets Jupiter and Saturn during the great conjunction at the Griffith Observatory on the same day as the winter solstice, December 21, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. - The great conjunction refers to the astronomical alignment of Jupiter and Saturn, the closest for nearly 400 years.

Mars, Jupiter Conjunction Over The Weekend

According to NASA, Jupiter and Mars are coming closer to each other every day in the pre-dawn sky. They'll appear to be almost touching one other by Saturday.

"Of course, the two planets aren't actually close together. They're just lined up from our perspective here on Earth," NASA added.

Of course, the two planets aren't actually close together. They're just lined up from our perspective here on Earth. But soon there will be a new connection between Mars and Jupiter...
2/3 pic.twitter.com/JokzC7ML2h
— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) May 26, 2022

On May 29, the two planets will appear separated by about the breadth of a full moon at their closest approach.

Other reports, citing EarthSky, said Jupiter will appear as the second-brightest starlike object. Mars will be the red object directly to Jupiter's right, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere as the conjunction approaches.

Meanwhile, Saturn will be visible in the far distance, but it will be faint. While Mars will be near the morning glare, Jupiter will be sweeping up and away from it in the direction of the sunrise. On May 29, Mars will be on Jupiter's right, and it will begin to move away the next day.

ALSO READ: Moon-Saturn Conjunction May 2022: What Are the Upcoming Celestial Sky Events? How and When to Watch Them

Similar conjunction occurred in April of this year, when Jupiter joined Mars and Venus, making a planetary trio, beginning in mid-April. At the end of April, Saturn joined these three planets, forming rare planetary conjunction comparable to the one observed in 2020.

Jupiter and Saturn had aligned and were visible to the naked eye during the grand conjunction of 2020.

Conjunction Explained

According to NASA (per WNCT), a conjunction occurs when two celestial objects, such as planets, the moon, or stars, appear close together in the sky.

"In the case of Earth's solar system, conjunctions frequently happen because our sister planets travel around the sun in a fairly similar ecliptic plane, often appearing to meet in our night sky despite being millions of miles away from one another," NASA added.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center's Mitzi Adams said in the same WNCT report that planetary conjunctions have traditionally been more the stuff of astrology than scientific astronomy. Still, the planets never fail to impress during observations, especially when the gas giants are involved.

How to Watch It

According to NASA (per CBS42), the ideal time to see the planets is 45 minutes before sunrise. Timeanddate.com said sunrise will be at 6:35 a.m. EST on Friday and 6:34 a.m. EST on the following days. You should aim your gaze toward the eastern-southeastern horizon.

NASA said most stargazers should be able to view Jupiter with the naked eye due to its brightness. However, astronomers with the organization believe that seeing Mars, which will be less brilliant, may require a telescope or binoculars.