Spatial optical illusion: Jupiter and Venus will be seen almost united in the night sky this Wednesday

As soon as the sun goes down, we’ll see Venus and Jupiter meet to mark the change of calendar in spring (boreal) and the beginning of its conjunction. The Mars planetary date is set to put on a dazzling spectacle on Wednesday night.

Venus, the brightest planet, and Jupiter, the gas giant, will appear as two nearly touching orbs, separated by less than 1 degree in the night sky. THE conjunctions they occur when two planets, a planet and a star or a planet and the Moon appear almost touching from Earth. But this conjunction is different because of the proximity of the planets.

If you were to reach out and hold your little finger up against the night sky, “Your little finger wouldn’t fit between these planets, they’re so close,” the NASA ambassador said, Tony Rice. “They don’t get close often.”

But make no mistake, it’s a optical illusion. Although it may seem like the two planets are kissing, they are actually separated by millions of miles of space.

Venus and Jupiter have been gradually approaching over the past few weeks. Last week they formed an impressive line with the crescent moon.

The two planets will do a slow-motion run Wednesday and Thursday night before drifting until May 2024, according to Noah Petroscientist of NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Project. The last time Venus and Jupiter were in conjunction was on April 30, 2022.

The next time Venus and Jupiter will be as close as they are now will be Feb. 7, 2032, according to Rice.

On Wednesday evening, Jupiter will be the darkest globe on the left side of Venus because it’s so far away, Rice said. Venus will shine almost six times brighter than Jupiter.

The two planets will be closest around midnight, when they will be about half a degree apart, Petro said. Then the planets will gradually move away from each other.

Therefore, if you want to find both sunsets sensational, look up to the western sky, as the character Elphaba said in the musical. Bad. Far from the bright city lights and where the sky is clear, the couple should be visible to everyone on Earth with the naked eyebut binoculars or a telescope will focus more on the couple.

Jupiter’s four large moons may also be visible to viewers with a sufficiently powerful telescope.

After Thursday, Venus will slowly rise from the horizon with each passing night. But Jupiter will dip below the horizon, “disappearing below the evening horizon mid-month,” Rice said.

If you miss the specular glow of Venus and Jupiter on Wednesday night, Thursday night will give you one more opportunity. If you miss both tours this month, don’t worry:conjunctions are common! But we will have to wait for the summer solstice to see the next one.

The first official day of summer, Venus, Mars and the Moon will form a triangle in the night sky. No special equipment will be needed to see the trio.

Continue reading: