Latest news with #conjunction
BBC News
5 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Venus and Jupiter Conjunction 2025: Two brightest planets to 'meet up' in the sky
Calling all skygazing fans, there's a real treat in store later this month. Despite being millions of miles apart, Venus and Jupiter will look as if they're close to bumping into each other in the night sky this planetary meet up is known as the conjunction and it takes place over several 2025, the planets will appear closest over the 11 and 12 August. When can I see the Venus and Jupiter Conjunction? A conjunction is when two planets appear close together or even touching in the night sky as seen from Venus and Jupiter conjunction is a rare opportunity to see two of the brightest planets in the Milky Way, side by to the Royal Observatory Greenwich, Venus will outshine Jupiter with its white glow, while Jupiter will appear more best time to see this happen is in the early morning sky on Tuesday 12 order to best see this, if you can, find a high spot and look for two dazzlingly bright spots very close don't need a telescope and you should be able to see it with the naked eye or the event, the two planets will go their separate ways as they begin to drift apart again in the night makes it more special, is that the conjunction is not the only space event to look forward to in the night sky on that day, at around 9pm, the Perseid meteor shower is due to to Nasa, during this time, it could be possible to see up to 100 meteors an hour. Five top facts about Venus 1. Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system and the brightest object after the Sun and our Moon, which means on a clear night you might be able to see it without using a telescope.2. Because of this, people have known about its existence for centuries and Venus was the first planet to be reached from Earth by a spacecraft.3. Venus is named for the ancient Roman goddess of love and beauty. Most features on Venus are named for women. It's the only planet named after a female god.4. Venus is the slowest spinning planet in our solar system, meaning one day on Venus is the same as 243 days on Earth.5. But for Venus to orbit the Sun takes around 225 Earth days, which means that a year on Venus is shorter than its day! Five top facts about Jupiter 1. Jupiter is the oldest and largest planet in the Milky Way - it's so big you could fit around 1,000 Earths inside it!2. It's also the fastest rotating planet too, with one day only lasting 9.9 hours - meaning it has the shortest day of any planet in the solar system.3. Jupiter doesn't have a solid surface and is mostly made up of swirling gases and liquids, giving it the name 'gas giant'. 4. It has winds that have been known to travel up to 400mph that swirl around the planet giving it bands and stripes.5. Its most famous feature is its 'Red Spot', which is a storm that's so big it is visible from Earth with a telescope. It's thought to have been raging for 300 years!
Forbes
6 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
Don't Miss This Week's Dazzling Venus-Jupiter Encounter — Now Showing
This month, it's all about Venus and Jupiter. Over the next week, the two brightest planets in the night sky will slowly get closer together, culminating on Aug. 12 when the gap between them will be less than a degree — the width of a little finger held at arm's length. That will be the time to see the planets at their closest conjunction (the name astronomers give the phenomenon), but if you love the night sky, all this week it will be possible to see them get closer and, next week, to watch them go their separate ways. Here's everything you need to know about the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter this August 2025. Where And When To Look The two brightest planets will be just above the east-northeast horizon about an hour before sunrise all month. Before Aug. 12, Venus will be higher than Jupiter, a situation that's reversed after that date. What You'll See Venus and Jupiter will completely dominate the east-northeast pre-dawn sky for the entire month. Jupiter will get closer to Venus, from about seven degrees on Aug. 5 to a mere 0.9 degrees on Aug. 12, then back to seven degrees on Aug. 20. For that final week of the event, you may also see tiny Mercury appear close to the horizon, below Venus, about 45 minutes before sunrise. Although the close encounter of Venus and Jupiter will undoubtedly peak on Aug. 12, arguably the skywatching highlight will come on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20 when a beautiful waning crescent moon will visit the two planets. Observing Tips All you need is your naked eyes to see the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter. However, if you do have binoculars, they will be helpful not only to help pick out Mercury in the horizon haze, but also to see Jupiter's Galilean moons — Callisto, Ganymede, Io and Europa — as bright dots either side of Jupiter's bright disk. However, stop using binoculars well before sunrise to avoid the risk of pointing them at the sun, which is extremely dangerous. What's Next In The Night Sky The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter is part of a dazzling "planet parade" taking place between Aug. 10-20 in the eastern sky about an hour before sunrise. While Venus and Jupiter 'dance' and Mercury rises, Saturn will be high in the south, with Neptune just above it (though not visible). Uranus will be high in the southeast (also not visible). The closest conjunction of Venus and Jupiter takes place on the same day as the annual Perseid meteor shower peaks overnight on Aug. 12-13, though its rates of meteors will likely dip this year because of a bright moon. From mid-August is the best time of the year for those in the Northern Hemisphere to see the brightest part of the Milky Way. Use a light pollution map to find a dark sky or visit a Dark Sky Place and look southeast as soon as it gets dark. For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets.
Forbes
24-07-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Don't Miss This Weekend's Sky Show As The Moon Meets Regulus
The beautiful winter skies showing the moon, Venus, and Jupiter This weekend, a beautiful crescent moon will dominate the post-sunset evening sky. On Saturday, July 26, it will shine close to Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo. Here's everything you need to know to see the crescent moon at its brilliant best this weekend. Where And When To Look Be outside shortly after sunset on Saturday and look toward the western horizon. The waxing crescent moon will be low in the sky but relatively easy to see. Just to its right — about two degrees away, or roughly the width of a finger held at arm's length — you'll find the bright, bluish star Regulus shining at magnitude 1.3. What You'll See The crescent moon is just 6%-lit, displaying Earthshine (sunlight reflected by Earth onto the lunar surface) on its dark limb. Regulus will shine steadily nearby. About 79 light-years from the solar system, Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo, often called 'The Lion's Heart.' Saturday, July 26: Waxing Crescent Moon And Regulus Observing Tips Plan to observe soon after sunset because this conjunction will only last about 30–45 minutes before setting. Since both the moon and Regulus will stay low, so seek out a location with a clear and unobstructed view of the western sky. A rooftop, open park, or hilltop will give you the best chance to enjoy this close conjunction before the moon and Regulus set. You won't need any special equipment to enjoy this pairing, though binoculars will give you a great view of Earthshine on the moon. What's Next In The Night Sky Come back the next evening, on Sunday, July 27, and you'll see the crescent moon bulge a little as it approaches Mars. Overnight on July 29-30, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak, offering a pre-dawn display of shooting stars. For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Science
- Forbes
When To See Mars As A ‘Cherry' On The Moon This Weekend In Rare Event
Skywatchers across the globe are in for a treat this weekend as the moon and Mars meet in a stunning close conjunction — what some astronomers call a celestial 'kiss.' The rare pairing, best viewed just after sunset on Sunday, June 29, will offer one of the most striking naked-eye sights of the summer. In an alignment of celestial bodies, Mars was captured here rising out of a lunar occultation on 13 ... More January 2025 using the new Visitor Center 0.6-meter Shreve Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, near Tucson, Arizona. KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. Winsky On Sunday, June 29, the moon and Mars reach conjunction, appearing less than 0.2 degrees apart. For most viewers, Mars will seem like a reddish 'cherry' perched above a spectacular 24%-lit waxing crescent moon. The duo will be above the western horizon shortly after sunset and remain easily visible, if skies are clear, for about an hour. A conjunction is an astronomical term for when two or more objects shine close together in the night sky, as seen from Earth. They are line-of-sight illusions. From the Pacific Ocean close to northern South America, the moon will briefly occult Mars, something that was seen from North America on Jan. 13. Sunday, June 29: Moon And Mars In Conjunction Stellarium In a warm-up to the main event, on Saturday, June 28, the 16%-lit waxing crescent moon will appear — also above the western horizon around 45 minutes after sunset —below and to the right of Mars. In between the two will be the blue star Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, 'The Lion.' The striking trio will appear almost evenly spaced in the sky, creating a near-perfect line. Saturday, June 28: Moon, Regulus And Mars Stellarium Following the close conjunction, the crescent moon will continue climbing higher in the sky over the next few nights, pulling away from Mars and Regulus. By Monday, June 30, the moon will be 33%-illuminated and will still form a beautiful visual line-up with Mars and Regulus. Planetary Conjunctions Coming Soon The next major planetary conjunctions will see Venus and Jupiter appear to be just 2.4 degrees apart before sunrise on Aug. 12 and a crescent moon and Venus just 0.8 degrees apart before sunrise on Sept. 19. Forbes In Photos: Sharpest-Ever Views Of The Sun's Surface Reveal 'Stripes' By Jamie Carter Forbes When To See June's 'Strawberry Moon,' The Lowest Full Moon Since 2006 By Jamie Carter Forbes 'Biggest Booms Since The Big Bang' Found As Black Holes Shred Stars By Jamie Carter
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Watch the stunning Mars and Regulus conjunction today with this free livestream
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mars and the star Regulus are set to put on a dazzling show tonight as the Red Planet passes remarkably close to Leo's brightest star in a striking celestial pairing — and you can watch it live online. The conjunction between Mars and the bright blue star Regulus began on Monday (June 16) and will bring the two objects side by side in the night sky. A conjunction occurs when two celestial bodies appear very close together from our perspective on Earth. Using its robotic telescopes in Manciano, Italy, the Virtual Telescope Project is offering a free online livestream (weather permitting) of the conjunction beginning at 3:45 p.m. EDT (1945 GMT) today (June 17). You can watch the livestream here on courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project or directly on their WebTV page or YouTube channel. At their closest point, Mars and the bright star will be just 0.7 degrees apart — roughly the width of your little finger held at arm's length against the night sky — which is incredibly close for two celestial objects. The pair will remain in close visual proximity through Wednesday night (June 18). During conjunction, both Mars and Regulus — the 21st brightest star in the night sky — will shine at 1.4 magnitude. Although virtually equal in brightness, the two celestial objects differ dramatically in color. "They will offer a superb show, offering very different colours: Mars will bring its legendary red hue, while Regulus will shine like a blue diamond," Gianluca Masi, Virtual Telescope Project founder and astronomer, told in an email. Although Mars and Regulus will look strikingly close, it's just a trick of perspective from our viewpoint on Earth. In reality, Mars lies within our solar system about 171 million miles away, while Regulus is nearly 80 light-years from us in the constellation Leo, the Lion. Nonetheless, the pair will appear close and bright enough in the night sky to be seen by the naked eye. For a more detailed view, binoculars or a small telescope with low magnification can be used, Masi said. The best time to catch Mars and Regulus — known as the "Heart of the Lion"— will be just after twilight fades and the stars become visible under clear, dark skies. Viewers can look toward the western sky, near the constellation Leo, to spot the dazzling pair meet up.
