Early risers at 5am this week will be greeted by a waning crescent moon approaching Jupiter, with Mars visible from a greater distance.
The chart depicts the view looking east from London at 5am on Tuesday. The waning moon will be clearly visible, with roughly 10% of its illuminated surface exposed. Jupiter will appear as a bright point of light nearby. The two celestial bodies are moving closer together ahead of a conjunction later that day, when the moon will pass less than a degree north of the giant planet. For scale, the moon appears to be about half a degree wide in the sky.
Unfortunately, the conjunction occurs at 7.11pm, after both objects have set in the UK. The following morning provides another chance, with the moon positioned on the opposite side of Jupiter.
Mars is also part of the display. Looking upward and to the west, the red planet can be identified by its distinctive colour. Mars is located in Gemini, while the moon and Jupiter are in the neighbouring constellation of Cancer.
From the southern hemisphere, the pairing remains visible before dawn, with the moon and Jupiter generally appearing higher in the morning sky.
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