Astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photo of Jupiter and Venus (brighter) from space in 2015, while serving aboard the International Space Station. He re-posted it on his Twitter feed last week, to celebrate the Houston Astros winning the World Series. In November 2017, we’ll see Venus and Jupiter close again!
The two brightest planets visible from Earth are Venus and Jupiter. Only the sun and moon outshine them. When these two worlds come together in our sky, it’s a very special time to be outdoors, gazing skyward. They were last visible near one another, in the west after sunset, in August of 2016. They’ll be close again – this time in the east before dawn – in November, 2017.
When should you watch? Soon, before sunup! Venus is already up there, very bright, low in the east before sunup. You’ll be looking in the sunrise direction, and you’ll want an unobstructed horizon (no trees or tall buildings). Jupiter’s very recent conjunction with the sun – when it was traveling more or less behind the sun from Earth – happened on October 26. That event marked Jupiter’s official transition out of the evening sky and into the morning sky. So Jupiter is up there now, but it’s very near the sun’s glare.
Look for the king planet to creep back into the morning sky – appearing as a strangely bright object low on the sunrise horizon, below an even brighter object, Venus – after the first week of November, 2017.
Here are Venus (brighter) and Jupiter in the twilight sky seen from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 25, 2016. Photo by Helio C. Vital. Click here for many photos of the August 2016 Venus-Jupiter conjunction.
The wonderful Venus-Jupiter conjunction will occur before mid-month. Jupiter will join up with Venus in the eastern morning sky, and their conjunction – when these two bright worlds will have the same right ascension on Earth’s sky dome – will happen on November 13.
Watch for them for as many days as you can before and after November 13, too. Venus is now sinking into the sun’s glare, as Jupiter is ascending out of it. You’ll easily see these two very bright planets shift and move with respect to each other on the sky’s dome.
They’ll be beautiful.
Don’t miss the Venus/Jupiter conjunction on or around November 13, 2017. Read more.
What’s more, the waning moon will come along, just in time to join the show. Let the waning crescent moon guide your eye to Jupiter and Venus on or before the mornings of November 16 and November 17.
Those are, coincidently, very close to the peak mornings of the Leonid meteor shower; it peaks on the mornings of November 17 and 18. So if you’re in a dark location, watching for meteors, be sure to stay until Venus, Jupiter and the moon all rise.
And wow! Just as Venus and Jupiter are closest, the moon will be there, too. Let the moon be your guide to the early morning planets on November 13, 14, 15 and 16. Read more.
Bottom line: The Venus-Jupiter conjunction will be on the morning of November 13. But don’t plan to watch just one day … their meeting will be a cosmic do-si-do that’ll last many days.
Photos and video of Venus and Jupiter, from 2016’s conjunction
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2ywFBN1
Astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photo of Jupiter and Venus (brighter) from space in 2015, while serving aboard the International Space Station. He re-posted it on his Twitter feed last week, to celebrate the Houston Astros winning the World Series. In November 2017, we’ll see Venus and Jupiter close again!
The two brightest planets visible from Earth are Venus and Jupiter. Only the sun and moon outshine them. When these two worlds come together in our sky, it’s a very special time to be outdoors, gazing skyward. They were last visible near one another, in the west after sunset, in August of 2016. They’ll be close again – this time in the east before dawn – in November, 2017.
When should you watch? Soon, before sunup! Venus is already up there, very bright, low in the east before sunup. You’ll be looking in the sunrise direction, and you’ll want an unobstructed horizon (no trees or tall buildings). Jupiter’s very recent conjunction with the sun – when it was traveling more or less behind the sun from Earth – happened on October 26. That event marked Jupiter’s official transition out of the evening sky and into the morning sky. So Jupiter is up there now, but it’s very near the sun’s glare.
Look for the king planet to creep back into the morning sky – appearing as a strangely bright object low on the sunrise horizon, below an even brighter object, Venus – after the first week of November, 2017.
Here are Venus (brighter) and Jupiter in the twilight sky seen from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 25, 2016. Photo by Helio C. Vital. Click here for many photos of the August 2016 Venus-Jupiter conjunction.
The wonderful Venus-Jupiter conjunction will occur before mid-month. Jupiter will join up with Venus in the eastern morning sky, and their conjunction – when these two bright worlds will have the same right ascension on Earth’s sky dome – will happen on November 13.
Watch for them for as many days as you can before and after November 13, too. Venus is now sinking into the sun’s glare, as Jupiter is ascending out of it. You’ll easily see these two very bright planets shift and move with respect to each other on the sky’s dome.
They’ll be beautiful.
Don’t miss the Venus/Jupiter conjunction on or around November 13, 2017. Read more.
What’s more, the waning moon will come along, just in time to join the show. Let the waning crescent moon guide your eye to Jupiter and Venus on or before the mornings of November 16 and November 17.
Those are, coincidently, very close to the peak mornings of the Leonid meteor shower; it peaks on the mornings of November 17 and 18. So if you’re in a dark location, watching for meteors, be sure to stay until Venus, Jupiter and the moon all rise.
And wow! Just as Venus and Jupiter are closest, the moon will be there, too. Let the moon be your guide to the early morning planets on November 13, 14, 15 and 16. Read more.
Bottom line: The Venus-Jupiter conjunction will be on the morning of November 13. But don’t plan to watch just one day … their meeting will be a cosmic do-si-do that’ll last many days.
Photos and video of Venus and Jupiter, from 2016’s conjunction
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/2ywFBN1
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