Venus and Jupiter will appear close together just after sunset Tuesday night, about 1.5 degrees apart, and the best view starts around 8:20 p.m. You won’t need a telescope—just a clear, unobstructed look toward the western horizon.
Just after sunset Tuesday night, the sky will offer a rare, easy-to-spot pairing: Venus and Jupiter shining close together, with no telescope required.
From Earth’s point of view, the two brightest planets will appear only about 1.5 degrees apart. That closeness is what astronomers call a conjunction—two planets that still sit millions of miles apart in space, but line up near each other from where we’re standing.
Over the past several weeks, Venus has “caught up” to Jupiter, bringing them into this tight-looking meetup. John Gianforte. director of the University of New Hampshire Observatory. said it’s an “another excellent opportunity for photographers to catch this.” He added that the planets’ apparent nearness is about perspective: “From our perspective on Earth. they just appear close together in the sky from where we sit in space. but the truth is that Jupiter lies far beyond Venus.”.
The reason this keeps happening is the way the planets move across the sky. NASA explains that planets orbit the sun along nearly the same path in our sky—called the ecliptic—so they periodically appear close together even without physically meeting.
If you miss Tuesday night, there’s more. From Thursday, June 11 until June 15, Mercury joins the lineup, creating “a mini-parade of planets low in the western sky,” according to NASA.
The question most people have is simple: when do you look?
Gianforte gave a clear answer. “Look low in the western sky beginning just around sunset — around 8:20 p.m.,” he said. Venus will be the brightest and easiest to spot, with Jupiter nearby. If you have a clear. unobstructed view of the western horizon. you might even catch Mercury—described by Gianforte as “speedy little Mercury” to the lower right of the Venus-Jupiter pairing. Mercury will be fainter than Venus and Jupiter, and he said binoculars will be a help there.
Tonight’s sky has one less complication. The waning crescent moon won’t interfere with stargazing.
Do you need special equipment?. The guidance is refreshingly straightforward. “Nope. Watching this close conjunction with just your eyes is the best way to enjoy it,” Gianforte said. Binoculars will offer a more zoomed-in view, but for the clearest perspective, he recommends using your eyes. For photographers. he pointed to a telephoto lens of 150-300mm to capture the conjunction when the planets are closest together. and said a camera tripod will also be helpful.
Once this evening’s glow fades, the sky won’t be done entertaining.
The Perseids meteor shower will be active from July 17 to Aug. 24, peaking on Aug. 12-13. If skies are dark enough, anywhere between 50 and 100 meteors can race through the night sky each hour. Conditions are expected to be especially favorable because a new moon is scheduled on Aug. 12.
For people who want to keep going after Venus and Jupiter. Gianforte recommends using the moment as an invitation to look deeper. He said planetary pairings like tonight’s “make it easy to go out and enjoy some special views that nature provides us. ” and added that there are “lots of other sights in the night sky that warrant a little of your time.” His suggestion is practical: connect with a local amateur astronomy club or a university astronomy department. which sometimes sponsor observing nights.
He listed several places to start: North Shore Area Astronomy Club, the Gloucester Area Astronomy Club, Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston, and the UNH Observatory.
The sky’s invitation is simple—and time-limited. Starting around 8:20 p.m., look low toward the western horizon. Venus will be bright enough to find quickly, Jupiter will sit nearby, and if Mercury is visible from your view, it will add a sharp little extra streak to the scene.
Marianne Mizera can be reached at marianne.mizera@globe.com. Follow her @MareMizera.
Venus Jupiter conjunction night sky stargazing Perseids meteor shower Mercury University of New Hampshire Observatory NASA ecliptic