Are you ready to get up early next Monday morning? The skies will reward you with a lovely sight if you are. Venus and Jupiter, two of the brightest planets in the sky, will cozy up next to each other to form a dazzling "double star" in the eastern US.
In the eastern U.S., Venus and Jupiter will appear to be only a third of a degree apart from each other, and their starlight will join together to form the visual effect of a double star. The effect will be even more stunning when seen in Europe, where the stars will appear to be just .2 degrees apart, almost looking like they are touching each other.
This phenomenon, known as a conjunction, can be best seen about 30 to 60 minutes before sunrise at your local time. An ideal viewing spot would be one in a flat, open area unobstructed by trees or tall buildings. Areas with clear skies will be better viewing platforms. Clouds will worsen the view -- check your local weather to get a sense of how likely rain will be that day.
The planets will appear to be closest together from Earth on the morning of August 18th. They will continue to move towards each other over the next three days, and can still be seen very close together from Earth. After that they will begin to move apart from each other again.
It does not happen very often for planets to get this close to each other. Venus and Jupiter cross paths about once a year, but often at a much more removed distance from each other. It has been 14 years since Venus and Jupiter appeared so close together.
This has been a great month for watching the stars -- from the Perseid meteor shower that graced the skies from Monday August 11 to Wednesday August 13, and the "supermoon" that appeared a few days before that on August 10. The sky has been a veritable smorgasbord of visual delights.
On August 18, Venus will seem much brighter than Jupiter as it comes closer to the Earth, even though Jupiter is much larger. Venus is closer to the Sun than Jupiter, so it is lit up more intensely.
Try using a telescope or a pair of binoculars to enhance your view of the planets. If the sky is still dark enough to see stars, try locating a constellation known as the Beehive Cluster. Venus and Jupiter should appear just below that grouping of stars. For a bonus, try spotting four of Jupiter's moons, which will be bright and large enough to be seen through even the smallest of telescopes.
