Mars and Jupiter won't be as close together as they appear Aug. 14 until 2033. Photo: Courtesy of NASA
Mars and Jupiter will appear so close to each other on Wednesday that they will look like a "double planet" in the early morning hours.
Why it matters: The two planets will appear "just a third of a degree apart" — less than the width of a full Moon — in a rare planetary conjunction, NASA said in its monthly skywatching tips.
Mars and Jupiter won't appear this close again until 2033.
The planets were last in conjunction in May 2022, according to Space.com.
What is a planetary conjunction
The big picture: A planetary conjunction occurs when two or more plants appear close to each other.
This is really an optical illusion as the plants aren't physically close.
Mars and Jupiter will be more than 350 million miles (575 million kilometers) apart in their respective orbits on Aug. 14, the AP reports.
When and where to see Jupiter and Mars
Zoom in: Mars will speed past Jupiter Wednesday, NASA says, noting they can be found in the "eastern sky in the couple of hours before sunrise."
Both planets will come up over the east-northeast horizon before 1 am local daylight time, according to Space.com, which notes they will be "well-placed for viewing" two hours later.
"You'll be able to see how these two kind of dance through the sky," Elizabeth Warner, a faculty member at the University of Maryland's Astronomy Department, told NPR.
Find the times for when Mars, Jupiter and the Sun will rise near you on Timeanddate.com.
Blue Moon 2024
What's next: The August full Moon, also known as the Blue Moon and Sturgeon Moon, peaks Monday, Aug. 19.
It's also the first Supermoon of 2024, according to Almanac.com.
