Jupiter and Venus, two of the brightest planets in the solar system, will almost seem to touch in a rare celestial spectacle this weekend.
Although they will actually be millions of miles apart, to Earth’s observers they will look close enough to almost collide in a planetary coincidence that happens once a year.
This year, however, Jupiter and Venus will look much closer than usual and should only be seen with binoculars or even the naked eye. If you miss it, you will have to wait another 17 years to redo it.
In addition to the extraordinary planetary conjunction shown, Saturn and Mars will also appear in a straight line with Jupiter and Venus.
Brad Tucker, an astrophysicist at the Australian National University, said the planets have come closer in recent weeks.
“Although Venus and Jupiter get closer every few years, this time there is Mars and Saturn in the mix, which is quite rare,” he said.
“If you have a telescope, binoculars or a decent camera, then you will get an even better view.”
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Despite their close appearance, the planets will actually be 430 miles apart in orbit.
The peak time to watch the event in the United Kingdom was around 5 am on Saturday from a high point of view with a clear eastern horizon. However, it will still be visible on Sunday and the following days, when the planets are moving away again.
It will be almost impossible to see from London, but the further west you are in the country, the closer the planets will look.
Observers in Sydney, Australia, will have a clear view of the pair of planets, which are due to rise east around 3:30 a.m. on May 1.
“The planets will differ in their brightness,” space scientist and chief astronomer at the Society for Popular Astronomy, Professor Lucy Green, told BBC News.
“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.
Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Mars have gathered in the eastern sky in a formation that is unlikely to be seen again until 2040, during the early sunrise of May 13, 2011.
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