Mars and Saturn Conjunctions
Orange Mars beside the steady gold of Saturn is a quieter pairing than the brilliant-Venus meetings, but a lovely one for a dark sky. The two come together about every two years; here are the meetings ahead and the most recent.
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
Mars and Saturn are similar in brightness much of the time, both around magnitude 1 to 0, though Mars brightens dramatically near its close approaches and can briefly far outshine Saturn. The contrast in color, the warm orange of Mars against the paler gold of Saturn, is the easiest way to tell them apart.
Both planets wander the full zodiac, so a Mars-Saturn conjunction can appear anywhere along the ecliptic and at any time of night. They line up about every two years on average; the table below gives the exact dates, the zodiac sign, and how close each pass runs.
A telescope shows Saturn's rings during any of these meetings, while Mars, much smaller in apparent size, shows little more than a tiny disc except near its closest approaches. For where every planet sits tonight, see the Today in the Sky dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
How often do Mars and Saturn meet?
About every two years on average. Both planets wander the full zodiac, so a Mars-Saturn conjunction can appear anywhere along the ecliptic and at any time of night.
How do you tell Mars and Saturn apart?
They are often similar in brightness, around magnitude 1 to 0, so color is the giveaway: the warm orange of Mars against the paler gold of Saturn. Mars brightens dramatically near its close approaches and can briefly far outshine Saturn.
Other conjunctions
Keep exploring
Planetary Alignment Calculator
Conjunction and opposition dates for any pair of planets, and multi-planet line-ups.
SkyToday in the Sky
Where the Sun, Moon and planets sit right now, and the next sky events.
InteractiveThe Live Orrery
Watch the planets move and see these meetings unfold from above.