A once-in-a-decade event: How you can see Jupiter and Mars close together before dawn this Wednesday

Getting up before dawn on Wednesday will have a big reward for stargazers.

A couple of hours before the sun rises, the orbits of Mars and Jupiter will take these planets to a unique approach from the Earth’s perspective.

They will appear so close that if you stretch your arm toward them, they will only be separated by less than the length of your pinky finger.

And although it occurs every so often, about three years on average, in the case of the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter it will be a unique spectacle this decade.

This phenomenon is known as planetary conjunction. “They will be separated by just a third of a degree, less than the width of the full Moon,” NASA said.

The US space agency offered some tips for viewing the spectacle.

This show will be visible from America, Europe and Africa, and the closest approximation will be given a couple of hours before dawn on August 14.

On the horizon, Mars and Jupiter will be in the constellation Taurus. For a better view, look for a place clear of buildings or trees and facing eastwhere the sun rises.

There, Jupiter will be seen as the brightest planet, and very close to it is the Red Planet. Because of its size, the gas giant is 20 times brighter than Mars, so it is easy to spot it first.

In reality, the distance between the two is more than 570 million kilometres. But the alignment of the Earth with the orbits of these neighbouring planets makes them appear very close.

“During August, the Red Planet Mars zooms past our solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter, in the early morning sky,” NASA explains.

But on Wednesday, August 14, the conjunction occurs. Afterwards, Both planets will move further and further awaysomething that remains a good sight to behold.

Another reward for those who follow these events will be given on August 27thwhen the crescent Moon joins Mars and Jupiter to “form a captivating trio in the morning sky”NASA explains.

Although it happens every now and then, the greatest conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in recent years occurred in 1761. In that year They looked like a single star, very bright.

To see them like this again, a few more centuries will have to pass until the year 2348.

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