5 upcoming conjunctions visible in the night sky, and how to see them

Conjunction: what a funny-sounding word it is, yet in the field of astronomy this phenomenon can give us some wondrous night-sky sights, ranging from naked-eye views, through to binoculars and even telescopic viewing. There are some amazing conjunctions coming up in the latter half of 2020, so read on to find out how to view them.

Generally speaking a ‘conjunction’ is the name given to two or more celestial objects close together in the night sky.

The most commonly observed conjunctions involve the Moon, often as a crescent in the evening or morning sky, along with any of the bright planets – Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn.

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You can also see conjunctions between the Moon and bright stars or even between the planets themselves, so there is quite a range of possible combinations.

Some involve more than two objects, such as when two planets are in conjunction and are joined by the Moon.

There are also times when incredibly close conjunctions set two objects in the same telescope field of view, or in really special cases, show Venus or Mercury transit across the face of the Sun.

You may already have come across the term in astronomy guides, yet if we went by its strictest definition then some events called conjunctions would probably not qualify.

To be precise: a conjunction is a line-up of at least two celestial objects in the sky relatively close together that share the same Right Ascension (RA) or ecliptic longitude in the sky.

• RA is the equivalent of longitude on Earth but projected onto the celestial sphere

• The ecliptic is the plane of Earth’s orbit and appears to us as the apparent path of the Sun across the sky. Ecliptic longitude is measured along the ecliptic eastwards from the spring equinox

Even within astronomy there are different meanings of the word conjunction.

• When a planet, either outer or inner, lies on the other side of the Sun to Earth it is said to be at superior conjunction

• When an inner planet lies between Earth and the Sun it is at inferior conjunction

Often a conjunction will occur during daytime or when the objects are below the horizon, and this is where the definition becomes more relaxed.

If the objects are very bright, such as a crescent Moon and Venus, then daylight viewing can be possible, but if the objects have set below the horizon they won’t be visible.

So conjunction can be applied in quite a loose context to refer to objects that are viewable above the horizon in twilight or at night, even if they are not, at that point, at the exact moment of conjunction.

• If the objects are at their closest, then this is known as an appulse: the minimum separation between two bodies that occurs just before or after true conjunction.

Conjunctions really capture our attention, which makes them ideal targets for public stargazing events, or for inspiring young astronomers and newcomers to look up at the night sky.

They are also easy to capture with a smartphone camera, giving more people the chance to preserve the moment and share with friends or on social media.

Below we’ll look at some fascinating conjunctions coming up over the next few months between planets, the Moon and stars.

Mercury and Venus, 21 & 22 May

See it with: Naked eye and binoculars

How to see it: During evening twilight look towards the northwest horizon about 45 minutes after sunset

Mercury and Venus come together for a stunning conjunction in the early evening of 21 and 22 May. On the 21st the fainter Mercury lies below the dazzling Venus, and the following evening Mercury lies to the left of the brilliant planet so you won’t be able to mix them up. They both fit nicely in the view of 7×50 and 10×50 binoculars and will be very close as seen with the naked eye.

Two days later on the 24th, they are joined by the slim crescent Moon, with Mercury forming the apex of a shallow triangle with the Moon and Venus. They set quickly so catch them early in the evening.

The Moon and Jupiter, 1 & 28 August

See it with: Naked-eye and binoculars

How to see it: Spot it above the southeast horizon during evening twilight

Look towards the southeast horizon at around 22:30 BST (21:30 UT) in evening twilight. This time it’s the Moon and Jupiter in conjunction and the Moon is at gibbous phase, just two days before it’s full. There is also a bonus as Saturn lies to their left on 1 August.

You will be able to view this conjunction with the naked eye if your horizon is not cluttered, and 10×50 binoculars will show Jupiter and the Moon in the same field of view if you do have a clear view. The Moon encounters Jupiter again on the 28th for an encore if you miss the first event.

The Moon, M44 and Venus, 14 September

See it with: Naked eye and binoculars

How to see it: Look eastward in the very early morning, around 4am

Normally the most observed conjunctions are seen in the evening sky, but you’ll need to set your alarm clock for this one as it’s best seen around 4am towards the eastern horizon. The slim crescent Moon and dazzling Venus lie either side of the wonderful star cluster M44, the Beehive Cluster.

The Moon and Venus will be viewable with the naked eye and you may be able to glimpse the cluster, but the view through binoculars will be special indeed, enhancing the appearance of the Beehive. This is one of the occasional conjunctions that involve a deep-sky object, so it’s definitely worth making the effort provided you have clear skies.

Mars and the Moon, 2, 3 & 29 October

See it with: Naked eye and binoculars

How to see it: Look eastward around 8pm

The Red Planet is just 11 days away from opposition and at its best for Northern Hemisphere viewers for this conjunction. On 2 October the Moon – just one day past being full – lies to Mars’s lower right. Look towards the eastern horizon from about 8pm onwards as both rise higher and the Moon creeps closer to Mars.

The pair will be closest just as they set the next morning. You will find that 7×50 and 10×50 binoculars give good views throughout the night, and for a bonus look out for the Moon and Mars lying close together yet again on the 29th in the early southeastern evening sky.

Jupiter and Saturn, 21 December

See it with: Naked eye, binoculars and telescope

How to see it: Early evening bright twilight towards the southwest horizon

Christmas is an interesting time of year for a conjunction of bright planets to occur in the evening twilight, often giving rise to ‘Christmas Star’ reports. These are usually prevalent when Venus is visible at Christmas, but Jupiter is the next brightest planet and it’s the one that will be catching our attention.

On 21 December, after months slowly approaching each other, Jupiter and Saturn meet up for a spectacular ‘great conjunction’. They will appear so close in the sky that for a naked-eye view they may look like a single, bright object. They will be low in the evening twilight and will set quickly, so a good uncluttered southwestern horizon is essential in order to view this conjunction.

Binoculars will separate them into two objects with Saturn, the fainter of the two, lying above the mighty Jupiter. However, if you can use a telescope then aim it at them before they get too low. You will not only see them as discs, but may even see Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s belts in the same view, along with the four Galilean moons of Jupiter and Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. This will be a brilliant conjunction as the year draws to a close.

Paul Money is BBC Sky at Night Magazine’s Reviews Editor. This article originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.