In astronomy, a conjunction occurs when two celestial objects such as planets, the Moon, or stars appear very close together in the sky as seen from Earth. This apparent proximity is a matter of perspective, as the objects are not physically near each other in space, but rather aligned along the same line of sight from our vantage point. Conjunctions are often most striking when they involve bright planets like Venus, Jupiter, or Saturn, or when the Moon passes near a planet or bright star, creating a beautiful pairing or grouping in the sky. These events can happen in the evening or morning sky, depending on the orbits and positions of the objects involved, and are popular targets for skywatchers and photographers alike. Conjunctions don’t typically indicate a physical interaction, but they offer a visually stunning reminder of the dynamic motion of bodies in our solar system.
Images of several conjunctions I have photographed are below. Click on any of the images to go to the gallery for a better view and more details.
Conjunction of the Moon, Venus and Regulus on Sept. 19, 2025
Cellphone capture of the Moon, Venus and Regulus conjunction low in the east before sunrise on September 19, 2025.
On the morning of August 11, 2025, I snapped a photo with my iPhone 12 capturing the stunning conjunction of Venus and Jupiter.
On the morning of August 11, 2025, I snapped a photo with my iPhone 12 capturing the stunning conjunction of Venus and Jupiter. In the image, the two brightest planets gleam side by side in the dawn sky, with Venus shining a bit more intensely than Jupiter. This close approach, visible to the naked eye, offered a serene and beautiful start to the day — a reminder of the graceful motions of our solar system playing out above us.
Shot on iPhone 12 at 6:22:46 AM CDT on August 11, 2025, exposure 1/45 sec., F/1.6, ISO 500.
A couple of days after the close conjunction of Venus & Jupiter. Taken March 3, 2023
Weather prevented me from getting a good image of this pair at their closest. I was forced to settle on taking this image a couple of days later. Venus and Jupiter pose at dusk above a Mesquite tree on March 3, 2023.
Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter with brighter Venus hanging below taken February 22, 2023.
I shot this nice conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter with brighter Venus hanging below on February 22, 2023 using NightCap. NightCap is an app which allows you to take low light and night photo, time lapse and video photography using an iPhone. In my case that's my iPhone 12. This was just a hand held shot. You'd probably be surprised at what you can do with your cellphone mounted on a tripod for stabilization and an app like NightCap.
Conjunction of the Moon, Jupiter & Saturn on the evening of December 16, 2020.
Conjunction of the Moon, Jupiter & Saturn on the evening of December 16, 2020.
Jupiter and Saturn Conjunction Dec. 20, 2020
I shot Jupiter and Saturn on the evening of December 20, 2020 from my heavily treed backyard. Photo settings were as follows: 100mm, F/5.6, 2.5 second exposure and ISO1600 with a Nikon D5100.
Dawn Conjunction of Venus, Jupiter & the Moon
Located above a giant Texas oak tree, a celestial smiley face greets early risers one summer morning in 1998. Venus is to the upper left with Jupiter to it's right and the cresent Moon hangs below. The sunlit crescent is over-exposed revealing earthshine, sunlight reflected from the Earth to the Moon.
Jupiter & Saturn in Taurus
Jupiter & Saturn in Taurus - Jupiter is brighter than Saturn and lower in the sky. The V shaped stars close to Jupiter are known as the Hyades open star cluster. The more compact open cluster above Saturn is the Pleiades or M45 the 45th entry in Charles Messier's famous list. The Pleiades are sometimes refered to as the seven sisters from Greek mythology for the seven daughters of Atlas.
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