August 15, 2024

When Mars and Jupiter Meet

So near and yet so far.

Yesterday morning just before sunrise, the reddish planet Mars passed bright planet Jupiter. The distance between the two planets was less than the width of a Full Moon and was visible without a telescope as this iPhoto will attempt to prove. (Find a magnifying glass.)

Yes, that teeny, teeny white dot is Jupiter. Mars is to the upper left of Jupiter. Seriously, I saw it.

My iPhone camera of course could not capture this conjunction, but my Sky Guide iPhone app could and enabled me to take this photograph:

This is an actual photo via the Sky Guide app. The bright yellow spot to the upper left of Jupiter is Mars.

Yes, Mars and Jupiter look so close in this photo, but in fact they are 350 million miles apart. If those miles were pennies, they would total $3.5 million. (I would only need $3 million to give myself a continual income until I died, assuming I saved and invested wisely, but I digress.)

Rare phenomenon such as conjunctions of planets typically have important astrological and Zodiac meanings. According to People magazine (yes, I subscribe to People to balance my uppity subscriptions to the New Yorker, the Atlantic and the Paris Review), the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter will unleash “a surge of motivation to pursue new ideas and engage in thought-provoking conversations” — thus, this post — further, it “marks a period of enthusiasm and intellectual exploration.”

But what does this conjunction specifically mean for a GEMINI like me? According to People, it’s my time to shine. What’s more:

Me as Mars, in 1982 and me as Jupiter yesterday.

13 Comments

  • The conjunction of Mars and Jupiter will not happen again until 2033. I am certain that my outdoor beach attire will still be happening. The ruffle is clearly making an enduring fashion statement.

  • in more serious news, my blog platform has been intermittently offline throughout the early morning hours. I’ve been dealing with irritating technical glitches with this platform for a while, but not the site being consistently offline. Thank you for the patience I do not have for this kind of crap.

  • HEY KIDS! The conjunction is still visible to the naked eye this morning. I could clearly see it without using my Sky Guide app. Using the app, however, I was able to take another photo, but have no idea how to post the link to the photo via this platform.

  • Thanks for the extra help. I got all the pictures and your stunning current fashion picture. I do not think I can keep up. I am so glad you saw Mars and Jupiter crossing. You were correct about needing a magnifying glass. Maybe Mars and Jupiter can help me as I age. “Life of the Party” takes more energy than I have. You go girl.

    • Charlotte—so sorry about the chronic tech issues. I am heartened, however, that you so appreciated the new energy I am investing in my wardrobe.

      And I couldn’t be the life of the party without beloveds like you!💥🍾🤡😍

  • Thanks for the People magazine link. The convergence came just in time. It says that I am in full on work mode, which is spot on, as we are packing up, cleaning and leaving the lake house today to head further north to a rental house and my niece’s wedding.

    I have been so disconnected from the news, astrological and otherwise (a true vacation!) that I wouldn’t have known about this phenomenon if you hadn’t told me. Thanks for keeping me informed and for continuing to be the life of the party!

  • It is 9:45 EST and I am deeply embarrassed to discover that this post was sent out early this morning with the title, “When Venus and Jupiter Meet.” The planets are correct in the text, but the URL that went out in the wee hours still says, “Venus” and not “Mars.” Guess I was over-enthusiastic!

  • Look out National Geographic will be calling soon.
    Thank you for the beach attire!
    Be well

  • Afraid I’m not much into astrology, but did appreciate your pictures of Jupiter and Mars out there in the vastness of the cosmos! And, as always, love your optimism…and your wonderful sense of humor!

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