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Two of the solar system’s brightest regulars, Venus and Jupiter, are staging a very visible rendezvous over the next couple of nights, appearing most clearly on June 8 and 9.
During this rare conjunction, the planets will appear two degrees apart to our naked eye, despite being millions of light-years apart in reality. On the nights of June 8 and 9, Venus and Jupiter will seem to drift along behind the setting sun, lingering low over the western horizon for around two to two and a half hours after dusk before gradually fading from sight. Expect Venus to shine a little brighter – exactly 7.5 times brighter than Jupiter, according to LiveScience.
The conjunction is also easiest to spot shortly after sunset. According to National Geographic, this is when the encounter hits its peak brightness and proximity. In Singapore, the best viewing direction is the north-eastern sky, according to the astronomy tracking site TheSkyLive.
But the stargazing doesn’t end with the main duo – tilt your gaze just a little below Venus and Jupiter, and you might also spot Mercury. It’s the smallest planet in the group and usually the hardest to catch because it stays so close to the Sun’s glare. Right now, though, it’s slowly moving toward its “best viewing” moment on June 15 – when it reaches its greatest separation from the Sun in the sky and becomes briefly easier to see during twilight.
And to make things even more exciting – the close pairing of Venus and Jupiter also acts like a handy signpost for finding the constellation Gemini. During this conjunction, the two planets sit right beside Gemini’s twin stars, Pollux and Castor, which are bright enough to pick out even in city skies, making them a useful way to orient yourself in the night sky.
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