Jupiter and Venus will be seen close together in the sky over the next week, in a stunning display of the two planets. These two worlds are usually the brightest planets in the night sky, so seeing them appear so close together is a real treat for amateur astronomers.
Venus is roughly the same size as the Earth and is covered in a total cloud layer, orbiting closer to the sun than our home world. These properties allow the planet to be the second-brightest object in the night sky, behind only the Moon. Jupiter is, of course, the largest body in the Solar System other than the sun. This allows the massive world to reflect vast amounts of light to Earth, making the planet shine brightly in the night sky.
Through the end of May and early June, the two planets seemed to drift closer together, as seen from our home world. Some astronomers believe this conjunction of the planets could be among the most dazzling displays of the year. By the middle of June, the two worlds moved to within just a few degrees of each other.
"The main event occurs on June 30th. On that night, Venus and Jupiter will be a jaw-dropping one-third of a degree apart. That's less than the diameter of a full Moon. You'll be able to hide the pair not just behind the palm of your outstretched hand, but behind your little pinky finger," Tony Phillps wrote for NASA.
This conjunction is a perfect event for children to witness. Because the two planets are so bright, the event can be seen soon after sunset, before the sky turns completely dark. No special equipment will be needed to see Venus and Jupiter, although even a small telescope will be enough to reveal details in the outer atmosphere of the largest planet in the Solar System. On the evening of June 30, the two worlds will be close enough together to be seen in a single field of view within binoculars.
"These planetary groupings in the sky have no effect on Earth or human affairs — except for one," Alan MacRobert of Sky and Telescope magazine says. "They can lift our attention away from our own little world into the enormous things beyond. That's what amateur astronomers do all the time."
The last time a conjunction between Venus and Jupiter similar to this even took place was August 18, 2014. Another close approach will take place in October 2015, peaking on the 26th of that month.
