Jupiter and Venus have been gradually making their way towards each other throughout the month of June, and tonight, the two will appear close together. The planets will make their appearance on the western horizon Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
People everywhere will be pulling out their telescopes to spot the two solar system bodies from Earth in what astronomers call a conjunction, according to Mashable. However, a telescope should not be needed.
Just look to the west. The two planets should appear so bright that they can be seen with the naked eye in the night sky, LA Times reports.
NASA’s Tony Phillips wrote in a statement that “you don’t have to wait until the sky fades to black.” “Venus and Jupiter are so bright, you can see them shining through the twilight,” Phillips said.
From the vantage point on Earth, viewers will see the two planets approximately one-third degree apart from one another. According to NASA, this is less than one diameter of the full moon.
If a hand is lifted to the sky, the two planets can be covered by a pinky finger. This will be their closest conjunction until Aug. 27, 2016, EarthSky reports.
If a telescope is being used, the two planets will appear in the same field of view. Jupiter will shine with its four biggest moons Ganymede, Callisto, lo and Europa, and Venus will appear in a crescent shape.
To tell them apart, look for the brighter star. That one is Venus.
Though the two planets appear to be close together on Earth, they do not appear that way in space. Jupiter is 565 million miles from Earth whereas Venus is only 58 million miles away.
Both are obviously illusions. Since Jupiter is so much farther away, it appears smaller. This is why Venus will look comparable in size.
Planets meet often in the sky. EarthSky reports that in October, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury will form the closest planetary threesome of the year.
Baltimore Sun reports that viewers should also be able to see Saturn in the southern sky, close to the almost-full moon, during the night. The brightest star of the constellation Leo, Regulus, should also be sitting nearby.
