Two pairs of planets currently reside in our morning skies ~ the first is Saturn and Neptune, and the second is Mars and Uranus, which we see here. Since we last checked in on them three weeks ago, Mars has moved from its position near Uranus to now being well to the lower left of Aldebaran and the Hyades. Mars has brightened to magnitude +1.31 while Uranus remains at magnitude +5.76, separated by 13° 11' 21" this morning.
Uranus is spending another year in Taurus, this time moving back and forth across the imaginary line between the Pleiades and Hyades star clus- ters. It will reach opposition, or the opposite point in the sky compared to the Sun, on Novem- ber 25.
The aqua-green colored planet is currently at a point in its 84 year orbit with almost its mean distance from the Sun. Uranus was at its aphel- ion in 2009 in Pisces and will be at perihelion in 2050 in southeastern Leo, so right now it is less than half-way between the two points. As a result, each year it will be slightly brighter at opposition.
Mars is headed for an interesting opposition in 2027 ~ the coming year will see one of its rare times of near simultaneous oppositions with the brightest outer planet, Jupiter. They will both be at opposition in Leo in February, with Mars' date being February 19. On that date, they will be separated by slightly more than 10° so it is not particularly close (in particular, compared to their 1980 triple conjunction, also in Leo).
Meanwhile, we will see Mars gaining elongation from the Sun and altitude above the horizon in the morning sky as it moves through the remain- der of Taurus. After that, it rises closer and closer to midnight as it traverses Gemini, and then Cancer, before entering retrograde motion as it loops through western Leo.
The two planets have their only conjunction of the coming apparition on November 16, 2026, in western Leo, when they are almost 90° from the Sun.