Venus and Jupiter have been nearing one another for the last several months and starting tonight they will appear to be just inches away from one another when we view the nighttime sky.
The closeness of the planets will be illustrated starting on Monday (March 12)with their closest celestial point peaking on Thursday (March 15)
Known as a planetary conjunction the Venus-Jupiter event is pretty special because it only occurs approximately one time every 13 months.
According to scientists this particular planetary conjunction is special because viewers in the Northern Hemisphere will be able to view the planetary alignment for a longer period of time than normal. Venus and Jupiter should be visible together for approximately four hours after sunset.
Space.com notes that while Jupiter is nearly 11 times wider than the Earth-sized Venus, the smaller planet shines more brightly from our planetary perspective. Look for the star that shines nearly eight times as bright in the night sky and you have discovered Venus.
To gain the full viewing experience (pictured above) you’ll want to be an an area where light pollution will allow for a clear view of the sky. If clouds are present you can still catch the planetary alignment over the following three nights.
Will you be heading outside this week to get a “close up” view of Venus and Jupiter sharing a seemingly small space in our nighttime sky?
