Did you see this week's meeting of the crescent Moon and Jupiter?
Both Mars and Jupiter are currently morning objects, visible in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
On Monday and Tuesday this week, 5 and 6 October 2026, the Moon met Mars then Jupiter, respectively.
Astrophotographer Chirag Upreti captured this beautiful view of the crescent Moon and Jupiter together in the morning sky on 6 October.
But look closer at Jupiter, which appears as a tiny point of light above the Moon. Can you see four even smaller dots on either side of the planet?
Those are Jupiter's moons. They're Jupiter's four largest moons, to be precise, and are known as the Galilean Moons because they were first recorded by the 16th/17th century astronomer Galileo Galilei.
The view of our own planet's Moon looks spectacular in the image. The sunlit crescent is a glorious bright white, while the un-illuminated portion of the Moon is still visible: we can even see the detail in its craters, rays and lunar 'seas'.
This is because of an effect known as 'Earthshine', which is caused by sunlight bouncing off Earth onto the surface of the Moon and then back again, enabling us to see the section of the Moon not directly illuminated by the Sun.
"The naked-eye view was quite beautiful to witness," says Chirag.
"I exposed for Jupiter's Galilean Moons and Earthshine to highlight them, as they are not usually seen this close.
"I stacked 15 images with the same exposure to reduce noise on the Earthshine-illuminated side."
Jupiter and Mars this autumn and winter
Jupiter and Mars are two of the best planets to see this autumn and winter and are only going to get better as we approach Christmas 2026.
But you need to be an early riser to see them! They're visible in the eastern sky before dawn, as of mid October, but by November they'll be rising slightly earlier.
What's more, the pair are going to get closer and closer together as the weeks roll by. By mid November, they'll appear like two bright stars right beside one another.
If you've not taken time to see them, make sure you get out before sunrise and spot them in the pre-dawn sky.
See more of Chirag's work via his Instagram account @chiragupreti.
And if you manage to see or photograph Jupiter, Mars or the Moon this month, share your images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
