Moon To Visit Jupiter, Saturn This Week, Here’s How You Can Watch It

Moon will be on a date this week with two of the Solar System's biggest planets - Jupiter and Saturn. While the rendezvous with Jupiter took place last night (October 3), the Moon will visit Saturn on October 5. The "meeting" of the celestial objects is just an illusion of perspective, as the Moon is much closer to the Earth than Jupiter or Saturn.

Moon Visits Jupiter, Saturn Explained

We know that the Moon orbits around the Earth and this orbiting appears in an easterly direction across the sky. The lunar travel moves approximately 12 degrees per day, towards the east. At this time of the year, Jupiter is situated in the nonzodiacal constellation of Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder. And Saturn is currently present among the stars of Sagittarius, the Archer.

The alignment of the planets Jupiter and Saturn are separated by 25 degrees and as months pass by, they'll keep inching closer. The Moon, which is closer to the Jupiter now, will take two days to reach Saturn.

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Moon Visits Jupiter

October 3 marked the date night between the Moon and Jupiter. The eye-catching sight began 45 minutes after sunset and could be seen a quarter way up from the southwest horizon. The wide crescent Moon could be seen hovering just 1.5 degrees to the upper left of the gigantic Jupiter.

Those who watched the event unfold with a telescope could see Jupiter's famous Galilean Moons, namely Ganymede, Io, Europa, and Callisto. As expected, Jupiter took off first followed by the Moon 15 minutes later.

Moon To Meet Saturn On Saturday

The Moon will be meeting the Saturn on Saturday (October 5). By then, the Moon will be more than half illuminated and will be hovering in the general vicinity of Saturn. If you want a peek at this celestial event, look about 2 degrees to the Moon's upper right, and you'll see a bright yellowish-white "star" shining with a steady, sedate glow. That would be Saturn.

If you are watching through a telescope or large binoculars, you can easily identify Saturn, thanks to its numerous rings. You can also spot the Moon close by. The upcoming space date with the Moon and Saturn is certainly exciting; a perfect weekend for space enthusiasts!