Don T Miss Planet Moon Conjunction Time This Weekend

March 27 and 28 mornings

In the early morning skies on March 27 and 28, 2022, you can catch a crescent moon descending from three planets. The planets are located near a series of links. Venus is the brightest planet, with two dimmer planets near it, Saturn below and Mars to the west. On the morning of Sunday, March 27, the moon will approach Mars in the sky. The moon that morning will be about 25% illuminated, heading for the new moon on April 1st. But the view on March 28 is truly amazing. Then the moon, the bright Venus and the faintest Mars and Saturn all gather together in an 8 degree circle in the sky. Because it is a waning moon, its phase will be even thinner than the previous morning, only around 16% illuminated. The quartet creates a beautiful photo. And you have a great photo, submit it to us! Note for telescope users: A faint comet, 22P / Kopff, is also close to the planets on March 27 and 28. But with the 11th magnitude and the dawn, you will need your telescope to catch it, as well as dark skies and experience seeing dim objects.

Session time: Planets and moon

The planets are in conjunction with the waning moon these March mornings. Plus Aphrodite and Saturn have a meeting on March 29. In all these sessions, at the times given below, the two objects have the same correct ascent (like the celestial longitude in an imaginary celestial grid surrounding the Earth). Here are the details: Mars is 4 degrees north of the moon at 3 UTC on March 28. Venus is 7 degrees north of the Moon at 10 UTC on March 28. Saturn is located 4 degrees north of the moon at 12 UTC on March 28. Venus is 2 degrees north of Saturn at 13 UTC on March 29.

The view from the Southern Hemisphere

The view is even better from the Southern Hemisphere, as the ecliptic path cuts the horizon at a steeper angle. Not only will you see Venus, Mars and Saturn next to the moon, but you may even spot Jupiter before sunrise. Morning sky on March 28 for sky observers in the Southern Hemisphere. Lucky! Because the ecliptic – or the path of the sun, moon and planets in our sky – makes a steep angle to the dawn horizon in the autumn mornings and the action takes place for you just above sunrise, and not to one side as for the people in the Northern Hemisphere. Chart by John Jardine Goss. Bottom line: See the morning planets – Venus, Mars and Saturn – in combination, plus the moon joining the view on March 27 and 28, 2022. In the southern hemisphere, you can also see Jupiter. Read: EarthSky Night Sky Guide for March-April 2022

Kelly Kizer Whitt

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Kelly Kizer Whitt has been a scientific author specializing in astronomy for more than two decades. She started her career at Astronomy Magazine and has made regular contributions to AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club, among others. Her children’s picture book, Solar System Forecast, was published in 2012. She has also written a dystopian novel for young adults entitled A Different Sky. When she is not reading or writing about astronomy and looking at the stars, she enjoys traveling to national parks, creating crossword puzzles, running, tennis and paddleboarding. Kelly lives with her family in Wisconsin.