August 18, 2021: Mercury passes Mars in a difficult-to-see conjunction during bright evening twilight. This is the closes conjunction of the two planets until 2032.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
With the appearance of the five bright planets during the early evening, Mercury passes Mars in a close conjunction. Use a binocular to look for the pair 25 minutes low in the western sky.
This is the closest visible meeting of the two planets until 2032. Other conjunctions of the two planets occurs, but many occur when the planets are in bright sunlight.
Recent Podcasts
Articles and Summaries
- Venus as an Evening Star
- Venus Evening Star (Summary)
- Mars during 2021 (Summary)
- August 2021 Planets
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, August 31: Venus Nears Spica
August 31, 2026: Venus nears Spica in the evening sky as August ends. Find Venus low in the west-southwest, while Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and the … Continue reading 2026, August 31: Venus Nears Spica - 2026, August 30: A Venus-Spica Conjunction Nears
August 30, 2026: After sunset, Venus nears Spica before their conjunction in two nights. The moon passes Saturn, while Jupiter and Mars are visible before sunrise. - 2026, August 29: Moon Near Saturn, Venus Approaches Spica, and Jupiter Rises Before Sunrise
August 29, 2026: The bright Sturgeon Moon nears Saturn while Venus closes in on Spica. Before sunrise, Jupiter rises higher each morning and Mars continues its eastward march through Gemini. - 2026, August 28-31: Moon Approaches Saturn Before Sunrise and After Sunset
August 28-31, 2026: Watch the bright Sturgeon Moon approach and pass Saturn before sunrise and after sunset. Follow the changing Moon-Saturn separation. - 2026, August 27: Sturgeon Moon Eclipse
August 27, 2026: The Full Sturgeon moon is in eclipse tonight where about 94% of the moon is in Earth’s darker umbral shadow.