Topline
Skywatchers are already out shortly after sunset observing one of the celestial highlights of 2026 — the close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter. The two brightest planets in the night sky are appearing to inch toward each other ahead of a close conjunction on Tuesday, June 9. On that date, Venus and Jupiter will appear in the post-sunset sky less than the width of a thumb held at arm’s length, according to Sky & Telescope, so close they will appear to almost touch.
Key Facts
On Tuesday, June 9, Jupiter and Venus will be just 1.6 degrees apart in the evening sky. However, the planets will remain within five degrees of each other from June 4-14, so skywatchers are advised to get outside on the next clear night and have a look.
The conjunction is visible low in the western sky about 45 minutes after sunset (around 8:30 p.m. in North America), but only for a couple of hours.
Mercury will also be visible below and to the right, creating a rare three-planet “parade.” A waxing crescent moon will join the planets on June 16-17.
An Optical Illusion
Although it will be a spectacular naked-eye sight, the conjunction is not a true close encounter between Venus and Jupiter in space. This week, Venus will be about 110 million miles (180 million kilometers) from Earth, while Jupiter will be roughly 560 million miles (900 million kilometers) distant. Their apparent proximity is simply a line-of-sight effect. Planetary conjunctions occur when planets appear close together from Earth’s perspective as they orbit the sun along a similar plane.
What Makes The Pairing Spectacular
Planetary conjunctions are not rare, but the June 9 event stands out because of the exceptional brightness of both Jupiter and Venus.
Venus, often called the “Evening Star,” will shine brilliantly alongside Jupiter, creating a striking contrast against the twilight sky. Venus will shine at magnitude -4.0, while Jupiter will be magnitude -1.9. That makes Venus about seven times brighter. That’s despite Venus being slightly smaller than Earth, while Jupiter is more than ten times Earth’s size. Venus will appear significantly brighter because it’s much closer to Earth — and getting closer. Its reflective cloud cover also makes it shine brightly.
As an added bonus, skywatchers may also see Mercury lower on the horizon. The elusive “Swift Planet” will appear beneath and to the right of Jupiter and Venus before setting later in the evening.
How To See The Conjunction
All you need are your naked eyes to find the three planets against the fading glow of sunset. The pair will be located within the constellation Gemini, positioned to the left of its well-known stars, Castor and Pollux, also called “the twins.” Through binoculars, the conjunction will appear as a brilliant pairing while those using small telescopes will enjoy an even more detailed view — including some of Jupiter’s four giant moons as pinpricks of light close to the planet, and Venus as a partly-lit disk.
An Extended Viewing Window
Although June 9 is when the two planets will appear to be at their closest, Jupiter and Venus will remain within five degrees of each other from June 4 through June 14, providing a wide viewing window. The display will become even more picturesque on June 16-17 when a 5-11%-lit waxing crescent moon joins the “planet parade.”
After the conjunction, Jupiter will continue to sink toward the horizon while Venus climbs higher in the western sky, growing brighter and dominating the post-sunset sky all summer.
