It’s a commonly asked question. As the Moon makes its regular orbital journey around the sky, it sometimes appears close to a particularly bright “star”.
Often these stars are not stars at all but planets. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn can all appear close to the Moon. That is because their orbits around the Sun are on a similar plane to the Moon’s around the Earth.
These planets also appear much brighter than most stars. Apart from the planets, a handful of first-magnitude stars – some of the brightest in the sky – also lie along the path travelled by the Moon, and so you might spot one close to it.
Occasionally, the Moon will actually pass in front of and hide a star or planet. Such an event is known as an occultation.
Here is a list of dates when the Moon may be seen close to a bright planet or star.
2020
January 28: Venus
February 3: Aldebaran
February 9: Regulus
February 14: Spica
February 17: Antares
February 18: Mars
February 19: Jupiter
February 20: Saturn
February 27: Venus
March 2: Aldebaran
March 8: Regulus
March 11: Spica
March 15: Antares
March 18: Jupiter and Mars
March 19: Saturn
March 28: Venus
March 29: Aldebaran
Related: What to see in the night sky this month
★ Keep up with space news and observing tips. Click here to sign up for alerts to our latest reports. No spam ever - we promise!