Mars and Jupiter meet in close approach November 16

Mars and Jupiter draw closer together each night before their close approach on November 16. Through much of the second half of the month, Mercury and Venus join them, forming a mini planet parade in the early morning sky.

Source: Time and Date
Image credit: Time and Date

A close approach like this is a trick of perspective. Mars and Jupiter are not near each other in space — Jupiter orbits far beyond Mars, and the gap between them is hundreds of millions of miles. From Earth, though, they appear to drift together until they share the same patch of sky. That is what a conjunction is: two worlds lined up along the same line of sight, one far behind the other.

Look east before dawn. No telescope is needed. Jupiter is the bright, steady cream-colored point that outshines everything except Venus. Mars is the smaller, redder one closing in beside it. Night by night the gap shrinks, and on November 16 they are at their closest. The pairing stays good for days on either side, so a cloudy morning costs nothing.

The extra draw is the company. Through much of the second half of November, Mercury and Venus join the same early-morning sky, four planets in one view before sunrise. Mercury is the hard one — low, faint, and only briefly above the horizon — so a clear, flat eastern horizon matters more than any equipment. Binoculars help pick Mars out of the brightening sky as dawn approaches. The best mornings are the dark, clear ones, and the show is free.