July 1, 2024: A Mars-Moon conjunction occurs in the eastern sky during morning twilight.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
A Mars-Moon Conjunction
Before sunrise a Mars-Moon conjunction occurs in the eastern sky. Here’s what to see:
One hour before sunrise, look eastward for a slim crescent moon, 23% illuminated, standing about one-third of the way up in the east. The crescent is pointing toward the sun during mid-twilight.
Earthshine
Look for earthshine on the moon’s night part. This effect is from sunlight reflecting from Earth’s oceans, clouds, and land that softly lights up the lunar night. The moon causes the same effect when it is near the Full phase in Earth’s sky. Moonlight lights up the terrestrial features and casts shadows.
Earthshine is visible without a binocular, but the view is improved with the optical assist. Photograph it with a tripod-mounted camera and exposures up to a few seconds.
Mars, dimmer than what we might expect, is 4.4° to the moon’s lower left and in the same binocular field of view.
During the next lunation, the moon passes Mars again on July 30. The Mars-Moon conjunction distance is 4.6°. The phase is thicker and Mars is farther eastward, approaching a conjunction with Jupiter on August 14th. At the next Mars-Moon conjunction, the Red Planet appears in the same binocular field with the Hyades star cluster.
RECENT PODCASTS
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, August 24: Venus Approaches Spica – Watch the Evening Star Close In Before September 1 Conjunction
August 24, 2026: Watch Venus close the gap to Spica during late August. Follow the nightly separation changes leading to their September 1 conjunction in the western evening sky. - 2026, August 23: Almanac – Jupiter Returns to the Morning Sky While Mars Marches Against Gemini
August 23, 2026: Before sunrise, Jupiter emerges from morning twilight while Mars marches eastward in front of Gemini. Saturn retrogrades in front of Pisces, Venus brightens after sunset, and the waxing gibbous moon glides above Sagittarius. - 2026, August 22-25: Waxing Moon Previews the Harvest Moon
August 22-25, 2026: The August waxing gibbous moon previews the Harvest Moon effect as it stays at a similar altitude while moving eastward and rising later each night. - 2026, August 21: How to Find Uranus Near the Pleiades Star Cluster Before Dawn
August 21, 2026: Use the Pleiades star cluster, 37 and 39 Tauri, and nearby reference stars to locate Uranus before morning twilight. Follow this binocular guide to identify the Tilted World. - 2026, August 20: Venus and Spica – Evening Star Approaches September Conjunction
August 20, 2026: Brilliant Venus shines in the western evening sky, stepping eastward in front of Virgo toward Spica. Watch the Evening Star close the gap before their September 1 conjunction.