Mars and Jupiter Conjunctions

Ruddy Mars beside brilliant Jupiter is a striking sight, the small orange point of the war planet set against the steady white lantern of the largest planet. The two meet roughly every two and a quarter years; here are the upcoming and recent pairings.

Computing the next conjunction…

Conjunction date	In the zodiac	How close	Gap since previous

Dates and positions are computed live in your browser and are accurate to well under a degree. "How close" is the separation along the ecliptic; the zodiac position is the tropical longitude (0° at the spring equinox).

About this pairing

Jupiter, near magnitude minus 2, is the brighter of the two, with Mars varying a great deal as its distance from Earth changes. When Mars is near one of its close approaches it can rival Jupiter for a while, making a Mars-Jupiter conjunction especially eye-catching. On average the two line up about every 2.2 years.

Both are outer planets that travel all the way around the zodiac, so unlike the Venus pairings these conjunctions can fall anywhere in the sky, including high overhead in the middle of the night. The table shows where each one lands and how closely the two approach.

For the rhythm behind these meetings, the average time between alignments of any two planets, see the Synodic-Period Calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How often do Mars and Jupiter meet?

About every 2.2 years on average. Both are outer planets that travel all around the zodiac, so the meeting can fall anywhere in the sky, including high overhead in the middle of the night.

How bright are Mars and Jupiter at a conjunction?

Jupiter, near magnitude minus 2, is usually the brighter, but Mars varies a great deal with distance and can rival Jupiter near its close approaches, making those meetings especially striking.

Other conjunctions

Keep exploring

Calculator