{"id":787191,"date":"2024-08-13T04:05:50","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T09:05:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=787191"},"modified":"2024-08-13T04:05:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T09:05:50","slug":"how-to-observe-mars-and-jupiter-as-they-pair-up-super-close-this-week-npr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=787191","title":{"rendered":"How to observe Mars and Jupiter as they pair up super close this week : NPR"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n This combination image, created from two photos provided by NASA, shows Jupiter in 2017 (left) and Mars in 2003. From Earth, the two planets will appear to be almost touching later this week.
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NASA\/via AP<\/p>\n

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NASA\/via AP<\/p>\n

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Look up at the sky this week and you’ll see Mars and Jupiter in a tight lineup not seen for years.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, the two planets will be at their closest proximity to each other from Earth’s perspective since 2018.<\/p>\n

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In reality, the duo will be more than 350 million miles apart from one another. The encounter is an out-of-this-world example of right place, right time. As Mars zips past Jupiter, the Earth will be perfectly positioned in a way that will make the other two planets appear super close, an astronomical event known as conjunction.<\/p>\n

It’s a celestial optical illusion that will be visible to the naked eye \u2014 thanks to the brightness of both planets. The event between Mars and Jupiter will not happen again for another couple of years.<\/p>\n