Jupiter and Venus are currently visible close to each other in the night sky, in a meeting known as a conjunction.
The two planets reach conjunction once every year, so this event is not rare, but this is the closest they have appeared in decades.
Venus will gradually appear closer each evening to Jupiter as February goes on, and into early March. Since Venus is closer to the Sun its orbit is shorter, and it therefore appears to move through the night sky far quicker than its larger, more distant cousin.
Here is everything you need to know about Jupiter and Venus’ conjunction, and how to see it from the UK.
What is planetary conjunction?
In astronomy, a conjunction occurs when any two astronomical objects – such as asteroids, moons, planets, and stars – appear to be close together in the sky, as observed from Earth.
Greenwich Royal Observatory explains: “The planets in our solar system orbit the Sun, and the shape of these orbits are elliptical and slightly inclined in respect to one another.
“From our point of view on Earth, other planets seem to wander about in the sky. Early astronomers first referred to the planets as ‘wandering stars’ because of the way they moved in the night sky far more quickly than the ‘fixed’ stars. Of course, we know that though to the untrained eye these ‘wandering stars’ may appear as pinpricks of light, they are in fact planetary bodies in our own solar system.
“Occasionally planets seem to occupy the same space in the night sky because of their alignment – though they are in fact millions of kilometres away from each other.”
When are Jupiter and Venus in conjunction?
Jupiter and Venus started appearing close to each other in the sky earlier this week, and will continue to be so until around 10 March.
Their closest appearance will be on the night of 1 March, after which they will start getting gradually further apart.
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How can I see Jupiter and Venus from the UK?
You should be able to see both planets with the naked eye if you look to the western horizon on a clear night. You will get an even better view with binoculars.
They will appear as two bright stars very close to each other – less than the width of the Moon apart – with Jupiter on the left and Venus on the right.
Jupiter will appear ever so slightly above Venus. Venus will be slightly brighter, but both will be brighter than the other stars in the sky.
Despite seeming so close, the two planets are actually 400 million miles apart.
