Starwatch: Waning crescent moon gets close to brilliant beacon of Jupiter — SkimNews
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- Waning crescent moon will appear with about 10% of its visible surface illuminated as it draws toward Jupiter in the eastern pre-dawn sky this week.
- Moon-Jupiter conjunction occurs later Tuesday when the moon passes less than a degree north of the giant planet — the moon itself spans roughly half a degree in the sky.
- Conjunction timing falls at 7.11pm, after both objects have already set for UK observers, making the pre-dawn approach the main viewing window.
- Mars joins the scene as a reddish point of light in the constellation Gemini, while the moon and Jupiter sit in neighboring Cancer.
- Southern hemisphere viewers can also catch the pairing before dawn, with both objects appearing higher in the morning sky than from London.
Why it matters: Early risers this week get a rare close pairing — less than one degree separates the 10%-lit crescent moon from Jupiter, while Mars adds a reddish third element to the pre-dawn sky over both hemispheres.
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