Mars and Jupiter to shine together tonight: How to watch
What's the story
Tonight, the planets Mars and Jupiter will have a close encounter in the constellation Leo. The two celestial bodies will appear just over one degree apart, with Regulus, the main-sequence star of Leo, shining below them. This spectacular event is known as an "appulse" in astronomy and occurs every 2-2.5 years when Mars catches up with Jupiter on its more distant orbit.
Astronomical event
Appulse is an optical illusion
The appulse is a unique perspective from Earth, making it look like Mars and Jupiter are side by side.
However, in reality, they are separated by more than 592 million kilometers.
The light from Regulus takes some 79 light-years to reach our planet.
This phenomenon is special because both Mars and Jupiter are "superior planets," meaning their orbits lie outside Earth's orbit.
Stargazing tips
How to view the planets?
A 6-inch telescope can show the stark differences between these two solar system worlds.
Jupiter, the gas giant, is known for its massive cloud bands that are made of ammonia.
These clouds move in different directions due to strong jet streams in Jupiter's hydrogen and helium atmosphere.
On the other hand, Mars appears as a reddish disk with dark surface features where basaltic rock has been stripped of iron-rich dust.