Eyes on the sky on Sunday February 9, 2025 between 19:30 and 21:00 to observe the Conjunction between the moon and Marswho will find themselves less than 1st angular distance in the sky while the spectacular astronomical event of thealignment of the planets started on January 25, with Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune simultaneously visible in heaven. Both the alignment and the moon-art conjunction will be visible to the naked eye from all over Italy. However, this extremely rare event represents a greedy opportunity for astronomy enthusiasts and for those who own binoculars or a telescope, since both the lunar craters and the red planet can be observed in the same field of view.
What is a conjunction and when to observe Luna and Mars in the sky
In astronomy we talk about conjunction When two celestial bodies appear particularly close in the sky, that is, at a small angular distance. This will happen between 19:30 and 21:00 of February 9, 2025 between the moon and Mars, when the two stars will find themselves at Less than 1 ° Angular distance.
Our satellite will be almost at the end of its growing phase, being illuminated for the 92%. Will be visible in the sky Already starting from 2:30 pm (Yes, the moon can also be seen during the day), however giving the real show starting from the sunset of the sun around 17:30. Shortly thereafter, in fact, we will see Mars appear as a brilliant reddish light point to keep company with the moon.
The two celestial bodies will be held company for the rest of the night. The event will be Visible to the naked eye from all over Italybut we recommend binoculars or a small telescope to be able to capture both Mars and lunar crate with a single look.
Eyes to the sky: when to observe the alignment of the February planets
If February 9 is a particular evening because of the Luna-Mart conjunction, the whole month of February will instead be dominated by one “Planetary parade” that furrows our skies. In fact, throughout the month thePlanetary alignment started on January 25, 2025improper term that does not indicate a real alignment of the planets on a straight line, but the fact that they will be All visible simultaneously in heaven, since on the same part of the Solar System with respect to the earth.
At least until mid -month, the planetary alignment will involve the planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn (visible to the naked eye), Uranus and Neptune (visible by using at least one binoculars), all simultaneously in the sky from the sunset at 19:30, at the beginning of the month, and from sunset at 18:30 at the end of the month. After the middle of the month, however, the “planetary parade” will be enlarged with a further planet, Mercurywhich will be briefly visible shortly after sunset in the west direction.
At sunset of the sun, we will have Mars in the east direction, Jupiter and Uranus in a south-east direction, Venus, Saturn and Neptune in the west/south-west direction. The best time to observe alignment in the first half of the month will be From 18:15 until 19:30 approximately, time of the sunset of Saturn.
Considering the 18:30 as a reference, the simpler planet to identify it is definitely Venuswhich shines in the west-southwest direction to a height of 30 ° on the horizon, taking with it Saturn (easily identifiable as a brilliant star a little lower than Venus at 15 ° on the horizon) and Neptune That, albeit being in the middle of this couple, is unfortunately not visible to the naked eye.
Jupiter Instead, it will be very high on the horizon, at almost 70 ° in height in a south/south-east direction. It is easily identifiable starting from the south-east direction on the horizon, meeting the star first Siriothe Constellation of Orionthe star Aldebaran And finally Jupiter. On his right the Pleiadi and finally Uranusnot visible to the naked eye. The unmistakable Mars Instead, it is identifiable by looking up in the east direction, about 40 ° on the horizon. On the evening of February 9th he will be accompanied by the Moon, so it will be impossible not to identify it.
