Venus and Jupiter Peak 1.6 Degrees Apart on June 9 as Venus Shines 7 Times Brighter
Updated
Updated · Forbes · May 25
Venus and Jupiter Peak 1.6 Degrees Apart on June 9 as Venus Shines 7 Times Brighter
6 articles · Updated · Forbes · May 25
June 9 will bring the peak Venus-Jupiter conjunction, with the two planets appearing just 1.6 degrees apart above the western horizon after sunset.
Venus will dominate the pairing at roughly seven times Jupiter’s brightness because it is about six times closer to Earth and reflects more sunlight from its dense cloud cover.
Skywatchers can already see the planets 45 minutes to two hours after sunset by looking low in the west from a spot with an unobstructed horizon.
The apparent meeting is a line-of-sight effect: Venus is climbing higher in the evening sky as it approaches Earth, while Jupiter is sinking toward the horizon and will fade into the sun’s glare by late July.
The conjunction headlines a busy stretch for skywatchers that also includes a Blue Moon on May 30, a dark-sky window around the June 15 new supermoon, and a Jupiter-Mars conjunction on Nov. 15.
As Venus and Jupiter align, where are the best public viewing parties and expert-led events happening?
This conjunction is an illusion, but could similar alignments help future interplanetary missions navigate space?
Beyond the science, what powerful myths have past Venus-Jupiter conjunctions inspired throughout history?