Today's Image

Photographs of historic Mars and Pleiades conjunction

Tree and clouds with sky behind, Mars and Pleiades labeled.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Haiping Zhu in Haiyan, Zhejiang, China, captured this photo of Mars and the Pleiades on March 2, 2021. Haiping wrote: “The greatest conjunction of Mars and Pleiades ever since 1991 is happening these days.” Thanks, Haiping!

Have you seen the close conjunction of Mars and the Pleiades star cluster yet? EarthSky readers have! We’re getting photos from all over the world of the close pairing of the red planet and beautiful, tiny, dipper-shaped star cluster in Taurus. The closest conjunction between the two comes on March 3, 2021. Find details here on how to see it. Mars and the Pleiades won’t be this close again until 2038. If you snap a stunning pic of this great event, share it with us at our Community Photos page!

6 orange dots alongside the Pleiades cluster.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Adithya Divakar in Chennai, TamilNadu, India, captured this photo of Mars and the Pleiades from March 1 to 6, 2021. He wrote: “Shot this image from my rooftop in Chennai, India, over a period of 6 days. Put them together and edited them for the final result that you see. The position of Mars started off at the bottom on the 1st of March and all the way up to 6th of March.”
Red bright dot (Mars) at bottom left, blue star cluster (Pleiades) at top right, on black background.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | George Preoteasa in Milford, Pennsylvania, USA, captured this photo of the Mars and Pleiades conjunction on March 2, 2021. He wrote: “After many cloudy or windy days, the sky cleared up just in time to get this view.” Thank you, George!
Bright red star-like light to the far left and bright blue stars with shining blue wisps (gas) near center right.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona, USA, captured this photo of Mars and the Pleiades with the gas clearly and beautifully visible around the open star cluster, on March 2, 2021. He wrote: “Nice sight to see Mars and the Pleiades.” Thank you, Eliot!
Bright Mars in pale orange beside bluish stars.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kris Hazelbaker in Grangeville, Idaho, captured this photo of Mars and the Pleiades on March 2, 2021. She wrote: “There were high, thin clouds across the sky and I wasn’t sure I would get anything worthwhile. I was pleased when this popped up.” Thanks, Kris!
Reddish dot at bottom left, blue cluster upper right.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona, captured this photo of Mars and the Pleiades on March 1, 2021. He wrote: “Two days out for the conjunction. Early evening photo to beat the rising moon. Persistent haze in Tucson is not helping. Red Mars and the Pleiades are quite a sight to behold.” Thanks, Eliot! Mars and the Pleiades star cluster lie along our line of sight to the constellation Taurus the Bull. They appear closest together on March 3, 2021, and won’t get this close to each other again until 2038.
Red dot on black background near cluster of stars.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Aurelian Neacsu in Visina, Dambovita, Romania, captured this photo of the Mars-Pleiades conjunction on March 2, 2021. Thanks, Aurelian!
Red dot of Mars left, star cluster right.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Vermont Coronel Jr. in Quezon City, Philippines, captured this photo of Mars and the Pleiades on March 3, 2021. He wrote: “The closest Mars-Pleiades as viewed from Quezon City, Philippines.” Thanks, Vermont!
Streak of aurora top left to bottom, Mars and Pleiades to right.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Gary Kramer in Borgund, Norway, captured this photo of Mars and the Pleiades on March 2, 2021. He wrote: “While photographing the aurora display over Filefjell, something caught my eye. At first, it appeared to be a narrow cloud-like shape from west to east. Most of the sky was free of cloud except to the north. As my eyes adjusted the form had a subtle hue similar to some auroras.” Thanks, Gary! We can’t say for sure but that streak surely looks like STEVE.
Orange light near bottom, blue stars and haze at top.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Thea Schenk in Kampen, Netherlands, captured this photo of Mars and the Pleiades on March 2, 2021. She wrote: “Mars and Pleiades conjunction as photographed from my back garden.” Thanks, Thea!
Wide view with roofline of Mars and Pleiades.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Priyanka Chobey in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, captured this photo of Mars and the Pleiades on March 2, 2021. She wrote: “Mars and Pleiades conjunction from Jaipur, Rajasthan.” Thanks, Priyanka!

Bottom line: Happening now! March 3, 2021: Catch the closest conjunction of Mars and Pleiades until 2038. The red planet and petite star cluster of Taurus can be found in the southwest after sunset.

Posted 
March 3, 2021
 in 
Today's Image

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