Astronomical Events Information | 2016 | June
The Moon Passing close to Jupiter
Let’s Enjoy the Medley of the Moon and Jupiter
Jupiter can be seen in the southwestern sky after sunset. On June 11 and 12, the Moon appears close to Jupiter.
Because the Moon orbits around the Earth, it appears to complete a circuit through the background stars about once a month. However, planets don’t move with respect to the background stars as quickly as the Moon does. So the Moon appears to approach each planet about once a month.
When the angular separation between the Moon and Jupiter reaches its minimum before dawn on June 12, they come within about 2 degrees of each other. For Japan, this is a time when neither Jupiter nor the Moon has risen, so it cannot be observed. But we can enjoy watching the position of the Moon change with respect to Jupiter from the evening of the 11th to the evening of the 12th.
Source: Ephemeris Computation Office, NAOJ
You can look up the rising and setting times for the Sun and the Moon for various locations, and the phases of the Moon in the “Koyomi Station” of the NAOJ Ephemeris Computation Office.