From Jupiter! The astronomers are enjoying cosmic pleasure, as the largest planet in the solar system looks close to colliding with Venus in a rare celestial spectacle
- Venus and Jupiter are about 430 million miles apart, but they seem to be “touching”
- The phenomenon happens every year, but this weekend turned out to be much closer
- If the sky is clear, the naked eye or binoculars will be enough to see the planets
By Sam Meriman for The Mail On Sunday
Posted: 22:01, 30 April 2022 | Updated: 22:09, 30 April 2022
The astronomers were enjoying cosmic pleasure this weekend, while two of the brightest planets in the solar system looked close to colliding in the night sky.
Venus and Jupiter are about 430 million miles apart, but viewed from Earth they seem almost touching in a rare celestial spectacle known as a planetary conjunction.
The phenomenon happens every year as the planets orbit the sun, but this weekend the celestial bodies look much closer than usual. The same spectacle will not be repeated until 2039.
If the sky is clear, just an eye or binoculars will be enough to see the planets just above the horizon to the east.
Venus, the brightest of the pair, will appear only 0.2 degrees – less than the diameter of a full moon – south of Jupiter. The planets are most visible just before dawn in the coming weeks, as they begin to slowly recede.
HEAVENLY VIEW: Jupiter and Venus rise in the sky above the castle of Roca Calachio in central Italy before sunrise yesterday
Coincidence is when two planets appear close to each other or even touch in the night sky.
Venus and Jupiter seem to be slowly closing in on each other in recent days before meeting in their own relationship. The best time to witness this was at 5 this morning, just before sunrise.
The planets are already so bright that if the sky is clear, they are clearly visible to the naked eye.
Telescope enthusiasts can recognize features of Jupiter or some of its largest moons. It is also possible to get a rare view of Mars and Saturn in the same sky, which seems to form a line of four planets.
Jupiter, named after the king of the Roman gods, is the third brightest object in the night sky after the moon and Venus. It has been admired since prehistoric times.
Venus, which will remain visible before dawn until September, is the second planet from the Sun and is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.
Jupiter (left) and Venus (right) are about 430 million miles apart, but viewed from Earth, they seem to almost touch in a rare celestial spectacle known as a planetary connection
With planets appearing low in the sky, observers of stars who have not yet witnessed the show are advised to find a high spot or unlimited view on a clear night to catch a glimpse of the dazzling duo.
“It’s very exciting for astronomers and it’s a really great opportunity for people to go out and see,” Professor Lucy Green, chief astronomer at the Society for Popular Astronomy, told the BBC.
– The planets will differ in their brightness. Venus is brighter than Jupiter, so it will look dazzlingly bright when you see it.
“Jupiter will be a little weaker, about one-sixth the brightness of Venus,” she said.
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