Mars and Jupiter to come incredibly close; watch the conjunction before it ends on May 30

Space enthusiasts have a rare chance to spot Mars and Jupiter coming extremely close as the planets have united during the conjunction that ends on May 30. NASA says that the planetary pair can be best viewed during the predawn hours, about 45 minutes before sunrise. According to the agency, both Mars and Jupiter will appear 20 degrees or so above the horizon in the eastern-southeastern sky, against the constellation Pisces. Recently, NASA shared a picture of the two planets getting closer and revealed that the next conjunction of these planets will happen in August 2024.

The illusion of conjunction

Needless to say, the planets don't actually get close but it is actually their alignment that creates the illusion of conjunction. As they circle the sun in their respective orbits, the planets often fall in a straight line which when seen from Earth seems to be inching closer. As NASA explains it, conjunctions occur because Earth's sister planets travel around the Sun in a fairly similar ecliptic plane, often appearing to meet in the sky despite being billions of kilometres away. 

Mars and Jupiter will be no more than a finger-width apart

At the peak of the conjunction, Mars and Jupiter will be separated by no more than 0.6 degrees, which is about the width of a raised finger for observers on the ground. Notably, Mars will appear to the lower right of the massive gas giant. Besides, Jupiter will be far brighter than Mars despite the former residing nearly four times farther away. NASA explains that since Jupiter has a diameter of over 1,43,000 kilometres as opposed to Mars' 6,759 kilometres, the latter's reflection of sunlight is far less. Mars orbiting the sun at a faster rate is also a factor for its relatively lower brightness. 

NASA astronomer Alphonse Sterling said in a statement, "This conjunction brings together two vastly different worlds, which both hold incredible promise to help us better understand our solar system, humanity’s place in the cosmos, and where we may be headed as a species".