Mars and Jupiter nearly touch in the sky Nov. 15-16
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Mars and Jupiter will look very close together on the night of November 15 to 16. They will appear a little over one degree apart in the sky, according to Space.com.
Both planets rise over the eastern horizon around midnight for viewers in the United States. The bright blue-white star Regulus glows just below them. Space.com says the two planets are actually about 368 million miles (592 million km) apart, so the closeness is only a trick of perspective.
This kind of pairing happens once every two to two and a half years, when Mars catches up with Jupiter on its slower, outer orbit. The next time they will be this close is July 2029.
You do not need special equipment to enjoy it. Space.com says a six-inch telescope shows the cloud bands on Jupiter, and Mars appears as a reddish, ochre disk.
Why it matters: it is a free sky show, and a good reason to look up after midnight on Sunday night.
Easy question: have you ever watched two planets this close together?
Sources: Space.com