Topline
Have you seen the bright “star” or “stars” shining low in the west after dark? A remarkable celestial display is unfolding in the post-sunset sky this weekend as Venus, Jupiter and Mercury line up after sunset, offering stargazers an easy-to-see “planetary parade” — and perhaps a chance of northern lights. Over the coming evenings, the planets will appear increasingly close together, culminating in a striking planetary conjunction between Venus and Jupiter on Tuesday, June 9, visible to the naked eye. That will be one of the best naked-eye planetary events of the year, but this weekend, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury draw closer together.
Timeline
Venus and Jupiter appear low in the west after sunset, with Mercury closer to the horizon below them, forming a planetary trio.
The gap between Venus and Jupiter narrows slightly, while Mercury remains visible beneath them, slightly higher than the previous night.
Venus and Jupiter draw closer still, now aligning with the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini, as Mercury continues to rise. It sets the stage for next week’s spectacular conjunction.
Three Bright Planets Share The Sunset Sky
Observers looking west shortly after sunset will see Venus and Jupiter shining prominently above the horizon. Venus appears as the brightest object in the evening sky at magnitude -4, while Jupiter shines slightly less brightly nearby at magnitude -1.9, both in the constellation Gemini. Venus will appear almost seven times brighter than Jupiter. Mercury, lower toward the horizon, completes the planetary trio, though it may be more difficult to detect due to lingering twilight. A pair of binoculars should get you a sight of the “Swift Planet,” so called because it orbits the sun in just 88 Earth days, so it changes position very quickly as seen from Earth.
Understanding The Planetary Conjunction
The upcoming conjunction (sometimes called an appulse) of Venus and Jupiter on Tuesday, June 9, will see the two planets appear to be just 1.5 degrees apart — barely the width of an outstretched finger. They are not physically close together in space. Instead, the sight is driven by the relative motion of the planets around the sun. Venus, traveling along a faster inner orbit, appears to be catching up with Jupiter from Earth’s viewpoint. As a result, the two worlds seem to draw closer together against the background stars.
Best Time And Place To Watch
The best time to see Venus and Jupiter — as well as Mercury — is about 45 minutes after sunset. You’ll need an unobstructed view of the western horizon, particularly to see Mercury. The planets remain relatively low in the sky and set within about an hour, making timing important. Although Jupiter and Venus will be closest together on June 9, they will remain within five degrees of each other from this weekend through June 14, giving skywatchers more than a week to enjoy the pairing. The scene will become even more striking on June 16 and 17, when a slender waxing crescent moon will join the two planets low in the western sky.
