Jupiter and Venus Draw Within 1 Degree on June 8-9 as Mercury Joins the Conjunction
Updated
Updated · CBC Sports · May 31
Jupiter and Venus Draw Within 1 Degree on June 8-9 as Mercury Joins the Conjunction
3 articles · Updated · CBC Sports · May 31
June 8 and 9 will bring Jupiter and Venus into a close evening conjunction in the western sky, with Mercury also visible nearby as it climbs out of the sun's glare.
Just over 1 degree apart on June 8, Jupiter and Venus will appear even closer on June 9, though the two planets remain roughly 670 million kilometres from each other.
Venus, the brighter object and lower on the horizon, has been rising since early May while Jupiter has been sinking westward, making their changing positions easy to track with the naked eye after sunset.
These conjunctions happen every year in some form, but Jupiter and Venus meet only about every three years, and not always in the evening sky.
What cosmic illusion makes Jupiter and Venus appear to touch in our night sky?
Why is this planetary conjunction just the start of a spectacular 'summer of Venus'?