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This evening (Jan. 10), the moon will pass closely near Jupiter, meeting the gas giant in the constellation Taurus.
The nearly full moon will come within roughly five degrees of Jupiter, making its nearest approach to the planet at 4:45 p.m. EST (2145 GMT). (A fist held at arm’s length covers about 10 degrees of the sky.) The shimmering duo will be visible in the evening sky shortly after the sun descends, as stated by In-the-Sky.org.
For viewers in New York City, the moon and Jupiter will become visible around 5:06 p.m. EST (2206 GMT), situated 34 degrees above the eastern skyline. The duo will reach their peak position in the night sky at 9:14 p.m. EST (0214 GMT on Jan. 11), positioned about 70 degrees above the southern horizon. The moon and Jupiter — the largest planet in the solar system — will remain visible until the early morning of Jan. 11, sinking below the western horizon around 3:47 a.m. EST (0847 GMT).
During this close encounter, both the moon and Jupiter will be located in the Taurus constellation, appearing as two luminous spots above the red supergiant star Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation often referred to as the eye of the bull.
At 11 days old in its lunar cycle, the moon will be in its waxing gibbous phase, with approximately 92% of its surface illuminated by sunlight. The moon will have a brightness of minus 12.6, while Jupiter will possess a brightness of minus 2.7 (lower and/or negative values indicate brighter celestial objects). With this intensity, the moon will outshine the planet and appear more prominent in the night sky due to its proximity to Earth, unlike Jupiter, which is the fifth planet from the sun.
Related: Night sky, January 2025: What you can witness tonight [maps]
Concluding thoughts
If you are in search of binoculars or a telescope to observe the moon and Jupiter, our guides for the best binoculars and best telescopes offer options that may assist. Be sure to also review our guides for techniques on how to capture images of the planets or photograph the moon during tonight’s close encounter.
Editor’s Note: If you manage to take a great photograph of the celestial duo and would like to share it with readers of Space.com, please send your photo(s), comments, along with your name and location to [email protected].
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