Triple conjunction
The triple conjunction is the three-time apparent meeting of two planets in the starry sky if it occurs within a few months.
While simple encounters take place from quarterly (for Mercury and Venus) to a 20-year rhythm (for Jupiter and Saturn), depending on the period of rotation of the planets, triple conjunctions are only possible if the encounter takes place during the annual planetary loops. These loops come about because the earth orbits the sun in the same direction as all other planets. The first and third conjunction take place in the right direction (in the starry sky from right to left), while the second is retrograde .
Sometimes one speaks of a triple conjunction when a planet repeatedly encounters a bright fixed star on its loop . However, only five stars that are close to the ecliptic are suitable for this. If you also include stars of the 2nd magnitude, there are around twenty.
Triple conjunctions of the two lower planets
If Venus comes into upper conjunction (i.e., its orbit beyond the Sun) about every 19 months , it will be triple conjunction with Mercury almost every time over a period of 5 months. However, the second conjunction of this is rarely seen, since both lower planets are then very close to the sun.
Triple conjunctions between Mercury and Venus are also possible when the two planets are in lower conjunction at the same time. This event is much rarer and here, too, the second conjunction is mostly not visible because of insufficient elongation of Mercury and Venus.
Triple conjunctions between lower and upper planets
When the planet Mars wanders past the sun ( conjunction ), there is often a triple conjunction with the lower planets Mercury and Venus. Given to those with Mercury conjunct the second because of low sun distance is usually unobservable, but are also the two other events because close to the horizon and the relatively low brightness Mars (he is near the apogee!) Freiäugig almost never see.
With triple conjunctions between Mars and Venus, all three events can usually be followed, but Mars is rather inconspicuous because of its great distance from the earth. It is more attractive in a five- to eight-inch telescope because the Venus crescent contrasts well with the tiny disc of Mars.
Relatively common (at least once a decade) are triple conjunctions between the lower planets Mercury and Venus and the outer planets Jupiter , Saturn , Uranus and Neptune . They can take place when the distant planets pass behind the sun at about the same time as a lower conjunction of Mercury or Venus. For the second conjunction, however, they are usually too close to the sun for successful observation. The first and third conjunction are clearly visible when it comes to Jupiter, Saturn or a brighter fixed star . However , observation of the very distant planets Uranus, Neptune and the dwarf planet Pluto is very difficult due to their low brightness.
While going through the planetary loop , every lower conjunction of Mercury or Venus leads to triple conjunctions with some fixed stars. With stars first size are as common as having outer planets roughly.
Triple conjunctions between upper planets or fixed stars
These are the most interesting triple conjunctions, because all three conjunctions can easily be traced, since the planets or fixed stars involved in the conjunctions are at a large angular distance from the sun in the sky . Triple conjunctions between upper planets or an upper planet and a fixed star can only occur if these objects are in opposition to the sun within a very short time.
Triple conjunctions between the bright upper planets are very rare: the last triple conjunctions between Mars and Jupiter were in 1789/90, 1836/37 and 1979/80 and the next triple conjunctions between Mars and Jupiter were not again until 2123 and 2169/70 . The last triple conjunctions between Mars and Saturn took place in 1779, 1877 (only in right ascension) and 1945/46, while the next such events only take place again in 2148/49, 2185 and 2187.
Both with triple conjunctions Mars-Jupiter, as well as with triple conjunctions Mars-Saturn, it is possible that they are repeated every 2 years. In the case of Mars and Jupiter, this occurred last in 927 and 929 and will only repeat itself in 2742 and 2744. In the case of the triple conjunction Mars-Saturn, this was the last case in 1742/43 and 1744/45 and will only be repeated in the years 2185 and 2187.
The historically particularly significant triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, the so-called greatest conjunction , whose occurrence in the years 7 and 6 BC. Chr. Is called a frequent explanation for the star of Bethlehem , took place last in 1682/83, 1821 (only in declination ), 1940/41 and 1981. It will not occur again until 2238/39.
More common are triple conjunctions between Jupiter and Uranus and Jupiter and Neptune. While unspectacular, they are a great way for amateur astronomers to find these planets. The next triple conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune will occur in 2047/48, the next between Jupiter and Uranus in 2037/38.
With every opposition there is always some kind of threefold conjunctions with fixed stars due to the apparent loop movement of the planets. Triple conjunctions of outer planets with bright ecliptic fixed stars are rather rare; about two events per decade.
Triple conjunctions of the planets Mars to Neptune in the period from 1800 to 2100
Conjunctions in right ascension
year | Planets involved | 1st conjunction | 2. conjunction | 3. conjunction |
---|---|---|---|---|
1821 | Uranus-Neptune | 17. March | May 7th | 2. December |
1821 | Jupiter-Saturn | 25th June | November 23 | 23rd of December |
1836/37 | Mars-Jupiter | November 14, 1836 | March 5, 1837 | March 23, 1837 |
1843 | Jupiter-Neptune | 9th April | September 15th | November 5th |
1845 | Mars Neptune | 18th of June | September 2nd | October 3 |
1846 | Saturn-Neptune | March 31 | September 14th | 3rd of December |
1851/52 | Saturn-Uranus | July 15, 1851 | October 4, 1851 | March 4, 1852 |
1877 | Mars-Saturn | July 27th | 26th of August | November 4th |
1888 | Mars-Uranus | January 9th | 5th of May | June 7th |
1896/97 | Mars Neptune | September 24, 1896 | December 12, 1896 | February 19, 1897 |
1896/97 | Saturn-Uranus | December 28, 1896 | June 19, 1897 | August 26, 1897 |
1907 | Mars-Uranus | 2.May | July 19 | August 24th |
1919/20 | Jupiter-Neptune | September 23, 1919 | March 13, 1920 | April 20, 1920 |
1927/28 | Jupiter-Uranus | July 9, 1927 | August 19, 1927 | January 23, 1928 |
1932/33 | Mars Neptune | December 5, 1932 | March 11, 1933 | May 16, 1933 |
1940/41 | Jupiter-Saturn | August 15, 1940 | October 12, 1940 | February 20, 1941 |
1943/44 | Mars-Uranus | September 9, 1943 | December 26, 1943 | January 20, 1944 |
1945/46 | Mars-Saturn | October 26, 1945 | January 22, 1946 | March 19, 1946 |
1952/53 | Saturn-Neptune | November 18, 1952 | May 31, 1953 | July 11, 1953 |
1954/55 | Jupiter-Uranus | October 8, 1954 | January 6, 1955 | May 10, 1955 |
1964/65 | Mars-Uranus | 5th December 1964 | April 3, 1965 | May 6, 1965 |
1968/69 | Jupiter-Uranus | December 9, 1968 | March 15, 1969 | 18th July 1969 |
1971 | Jupiter-Neptune | February 2nd | May 20th | September 18 |
1979/80 | Mars-Jupiter | December 13, 1979 | March 2, 1980 | May 4th 1980 |
1981 | Jupiter-Saturn | January 14th | 19th of February | 30th July |
1983 | Jupiter-Uranus | February 17th | May 16 | September 24th |
1988 | Saturn-Uranus | 13th February | June 27th | October 18 |
1989 | Saturn-Neptune | 3 March | June 24th | November 12th |
1993 | Uranus-Neptune | January 26th | 17th of September | September 28th |
2009 | Jupiter-Neptune | 25. May | July 13th | 20th of December |
2010/11 | Jupiter-Uranus | June 6, 2010 | September 22, 2010 | January 2, 2011 |
2025/26 | Saturn-Neptune | June 29, 2025 | August 6, 2025 | February 16, 2026 |
2037/38 | Jupiter-Uranus | September 8, 2037 | February 19, 2038 | March 30, 2038 |
2041/42 | Mars-Uranus | November 2, 2041 | March 16, 2042 | March 18, 2042 |
2047/48 | Jupiter-Neptune | July 24, 2047 | November 15, 2047 | February 26, 2048 |
2063 | Mars-Uranus | February 23 | May 27th | 17th July |
2066 | Jupiter-Uranus | January 19th | June 27th | 18th of August |
2071/72 | Mars Neptune | October 8, 2071 | February 5, 2072 | February 29, 2072 |
2079 | Saturn-Uranus | February 28 | 29th August | 23rd October |
2085/86 | Jupiter-Neptune | October 30, 2085 | January 13, 2086 | June 8, 2086 |
2088/89 | Mars Neptune | December 14, 2088 | January 4, 2089 | May 13, 2089 |
2093 | Jupiter-Uranus | May 16 | October 27 | 30th of November |
Conjunctions in ecliptical length
year | Planets involved | 1st conjunction | 2. conjunction | 3. conjunction |
---|---|---|---|---|
1821 | Uranus-Neptune | March 22 | May 3rd | 3rd of December |
1836/37 | Mars-Jupiter | November 15, 1836 | February 28, 1837 | March 29, 1837 |
1843 | Jupiter-Neptune | 9th April | 12th September | November 8th |
1845 | Mars Neptune | June 21st | August 22nd | 8th October |
1846 | Saturn-Neptune | 4. April | 5th September | 11th December |
1888 | Mars-Uranus | 11th January | May 4th | June 5th |
1896/97 | Mars Neptune | September 24, 1896 | December 13, 1896 | February 18, 1897 |
1897 | Saturn-Uranus | 6th January | June 1st | the 9th of September |
1907 | Mars-Uranus | 2.May | 17th July | 26th of August |
1919/20 | Jupiter-Neptune | September 24, 1919 | March 8, 1920 | April 24, 1920 |
1927/28 | Jupiter-Uranus | July 15, 1927 | August 11, 1927 | January 25, 1928 |
1932/33 | Mars Neptune | December 6, 1932 | March 7, 1933 | May 17, 1933 |
1940/41 | Jupiter-Saturn | August 8, 1940 | October 20, 1940 | February 15, 1941 |
1943/44 | Mars-Uranus | September 9, 1943 | December 30, 1943 | January 16, 1944 |
1945/46 | Mars-Saturn | October 27, 1945 | January 20, 1946 | March 20, 1946 |
1952/53 | Saturn-Neptune | November 21, 1952 | 17th May 1953 | July 22, 1953 |
1954/55 | Jupiter-Uranus | October 7, 1954 | January 7, 1955 | May 10, 1955 |
1964/65 | Mars-Uranus | December 6, 1964 | March 29, 1965 | May 8, 1965 |
1968/69 | Jupiter-Uranus | December 11, 1968 | March 11, 1969 | 20th July 1969 |
1971 | Jupiter-Neptune | February 1st | May 22 | 16th September |
1979/80 | Mars-Jupiter | December 16, 1979 | February 27, 1980 | May 5th 1980 |
1980/81 | Jupiter-Saturn | December 31, 1980 | March 4th 1981 | July 24, 1981 |
1983 | Jupiter-Uranus | February 18 | May 14th | 25th of September |
1988 | Saturn-Uranus | 13th February | June 26th | October 18 |
1989 | Saturn-Neptune | 3 March | June 24th | November 13th |
1993 | Uranus-Neptune | February 2nd | August 19th | October 25 |
2009 | Jupiter-Neptune | May 27th | 10th of July | 21st December |
2010/11 | Jupiter-Uranus | June 8, 2010 | September 19, 2010 | January 4, 2011 |
2037/38 | Jupiter-Uranus | September 8, 2037 | February 19, 2038 | March 30, 2038 |
2041/42 | Mars-Uranus | November 2, 2041 | March 5, 2042 | March 28, 2042 |
2047/48 | Jupiter-Neptune | July 22, 2047 | November 16, 2047 | February 24, 2048 |
2063 | Mars-Uranus | February 24th | 28th of May | 15th of July |
2066 | Jupiter-Uranus | January 20th | June 24th | August 21 |
2071/72 | Mars Neptune | October 8, 2071 | February 2, 2072 | March 3, 2072 |
2079 | Saturn-Uranus | February 26th | August 31 | October 21 |
2085/86 | Jupiter-Neptune | November 1, 2085 | January 10, 2086 | June 10, 2086 |
2093 | Jupiter-Uranus | 17th of May | October 21 | December 5th |
Note that right ascension and ecliptical longitude conjunctions often do not occur on the same day.
It is possible that a triple conjunction can only take place in right ascension and not in ecliptical length (and vice versa). A more extensive list from 1500 to 2500 can also be found in the book Conjunctions, Coverings and Transits - The Little Almanac of the Planets by Marco Peuschel.
See also
Web links
- Computer simulation of the triple conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn 1940/41
- Computer simulation of the triple conjunction between Mars and Saturn in 1945/46
- Computer simulation of the triple conjunction between Mars and Jupiter 1979/80
- Computer simulation of the triple conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn in 1981