Venus and Jupiter's Close Encounter in the Night Sky - once until 2032

Catch a Spectacular Sight: Venus and Jupiter's Close Encounter in the Night Sky, Won't Happen Again Until 2032!

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Venus and Jupiter will appear closest together on March 1 in the west-southwest sky at sunset.

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They will be separated by 0.53 degrees and can be viewed with the naked eye or optical aid.

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This is the best conjunction of the two planets for nearly a decade and won't occur again until 2032.

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Both planets can be seen in the same telescopic field, with Venus appearing brighter than Jupiter.

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Venus' motion has a rhythm, with a synodic period of 583.9 days, and will repeat its current performance in 8 years.

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Venus will put on its best show for telescopic viewers from early June through early July.

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Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, has an orbital period of 11.86 Earth years, meaning it takes nearly 12 years to complete one orbit around the sun.

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Viewing the planets in the same field of view is a thrill, but they will appear small and shaky due to their low position in the sky.

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The fourth Galilean moon, Europa, will appear to emerge from behind Jupiter for those in the western US and Canada.

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In comparison to Venus, Jupiter receives significantly less sunlight per unit area, as it is nearly seven times further from the sun.

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