Distributed photo of Venus (left) and Jupiter in the sky over Brighton Quay during Planetary Coincidence (PA) (PA Media)
Skygazers get the chance to see two bright planets that appear close to each other, even though they are millions of kilometers apart.
The cosmic delicacy shows Venus and Jupiter lined up as they rise above the horizon and just before the Sun follows them.
The peak time to see this planetary compound, which occurs once every few years, was between 5 and 6 on Saturday morning, but can still be seen on Sunday and the following days as the planets slowly move away.
Although they appear from Earth to be arranged, the planets will not actually be in this position in space.
Dr Robert Massi, Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society, said: “In this particular case, you have Venus and Jupiter (appearing) close to each other, and since they are both bright, it’s a nice sight.
In this particular case you have Venus and Jupiter (appear) close to each other and since they are both bright, this is a nice sight
Dr. Robert Massi, Royal Astronomical Society
He said: “It’s fun. Is it important from a scientific point of view – no, not really – but it provides a pleasant spectacle.
“I think the good thing you can have is that with a telescope eyepiece you can see the two planets together, which is an unusual sight.
He added: “Although they look close to each other, Venus is about 150 million kilometers now and Jupiter is 740 million kilometers.
A clear eastern horizon is needed to see the event. Buildings, trees and hills will make it much harder to see as they will look quite low in the sky.
Viewers in the UK will have a harder time trying to see it than people further south in southern Europe, Africa or Australia, as the planets will look much higher in the sky before sunrise.
Dr Massi said that in the UK, “it would be best to stop watching the sunrise so you don’t stare at the sun, which is bad for your eyes”.
Then, after the sun rises, it will be “practically impossible” to see the event.
He also said: “You can try to spot the planets with binoculars (use an online star map to find out where to look), but you should only do so before sunrise, as looking at the sun with binoculars or a telescope can cause serious damage to your eyes – as you can only see the sun with your eyes. “
Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: “Venus and Jupiter will not be visible in the sky until sunrise on Sunday morning, so by then most of England and Wales will be cloudy.
“There is a small chance that the clouds will still break in the southeast, but the bigger chance will be in the North of Scotland.
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