February 9, 2025: Mars, Moon, and Pollux bunch together in a rare close gathering after sunset. The Red Planet and the lunar orb are part of the evening planet parade that includes Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:54 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:17 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars continue as part of the evening planet parade that arcs across the evening sky.
Gatherings
For the purposes of describing a close gathering, a circle is used. A close gathering is defined to occur as seen in the circle of a binocular field, though the gatherings are visible without the optical assist.
Mars, Moon, Pollux Tonight
Mars retrogrades against Gemini’s stars to the right of Pollux and Castor, the constellation’s brightest stars. The location of opposition in the sky, that occurred on January 15th, was about 2.5° east of Pollux. As Mars appears to move against the starry background, Mars passes Castor and Pollux three times, known as a triple conjunction during this opposition season. This can occur every 15 to 17 years.
Typically, the Red Planet’s opposition occurs about every 25 months. The next one occurs on February 19, 2027. When Mars passes Pollux on September 17, 2026, the moon is in the same region of the sky on September 7th and October 4th, though they occupy a circle that is at least 10° in diameter, too large to see through a binocular.
When Mars has a triple conjunction with a star, there are seven opportunities for Mars and the moon to gather closely with the bright star. Last month, when the moon occulted Mars, the gathering was in a circle 4.2° in diameter, easily fitting into a binocular field of view.
Through a Binocular
Tonight, the gibbous moon gathers with Mars in a rare solar system bunching that does not occur again this closely after the current sequence ends until 2040. At one hour after sundown, the bright moon is nearly halfway up in the east. Look carefully for Mars 3.2° to the moon’s upper left and Castor, 3.0° to the lunar orb’s lower left. The gathering easily fits into a binocular field of view. From northern Europe and northern Asia, the moon occults or eclipses Mars.
Gather Again March 8th
On March 8th, another gathering occurs, the Mars-Moon-Pollux gathering fits into a circle 6.5° in diameter, and snugly into a binocular field. That night, the moon, 75% illuminated, is nearly 70° up in the southeast. Mars is 1.4° to the moon’s upper left.
Last Close Close Gathering until 2040
On April 5th, the final close gathering occurs that is 5.6° in diameter. The moon, 60% illuminated, is high in the south-southwest. It is 3.4° to Mars’ upper right, while the Red Planet is 4.5° to Pollux’s lower left.
Widely Spread Grouping in 2038
Looking forward, future gatherings are widely spread. The closest is on May 9, 2038, when the three celestial bodies barely fit into the same binocular field. Jupiter is nearby.
Close again in 2040
When opposition occurs west of Pollux on January 2, 2040, Mars does not have a triple conjunction with the star, though it begins to retrograde near it.
Mars, Moon, and Pollux gather closely on December 3, 2039 (5.5° circle), November 6, 2039 (6.5° circle), and April 18, 2040 (4.6° circle). On the final night, an hour after sunset, the lunar orb is high in the west-southwest. It is 1.6° to Mars’ upper right and 3.1° to the star’s lower left.
While looking for the four bright planets, look for tonight’s close gathering. During the next two lunations, two close gatherings occur, but not again until 2040.
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, October 6: Crescent Moon Occults Bright Jupiter in Predawn Sky
October 6, 2026: Watch the waning crescent moon occult Jupiter before sunrise. See disappearance and reappearance times for major North American cities. - 2026, October 5: Moon Near Mars, Bright Jupiter, and Planet Almanac for Early October Sky Watching
October 5, 2026: The crescent moon passes Mars and the Beehive Cluster before a Jupiter occultation. Saturn is in the sky all night, while Uranus and Neptune are visible with a binocular. - 2026, October 4: Saturn at Opposition – Closest and Brightest for 2026
October 4, 2026: Saturn reaches opposition today, rising at sunset and setting at sunrise. Follow the Ringed Wonder through Cetus and track its retrograde motion with a binocular until December. - 2026, October 3-5: Moon Passes Mars Before Jupiter Occultation on October 6
October 3-5, 2026: The waning moon approaches Mars before dawn October 3–5, passing the Beehive star cluster before its October 6 occultation (eclipse) of Jupiter. - 2026, October 2: Three Bright Planets and the Moon Before Sunrise
October 2, 2026: The moon passes Elnath before reaching Last Quarter phase. Mars approaches the Beehive cluster while Jupiter shines near Regulus and Saturn nears opposition.