Tonight, both Jupiter and Venus are set to meet in the sky, which results in an event known as a conjunction. Live Science notes that the cosmic sighting will be visible even without a pair of binoculars or a telescope.
Jupiter-Venus Conjunction
Both Venus and Jupiter are considered the brightest planets that can be seen from the earth. In fact, according to CNN, the two are the brightest sky objects that only fall behind the moon.
EarthSky reports that, in February 2023, the two have been easy to glimpse at the direction of the sunset during the twilight of the evening. Both have moved closer to each other throughout the entire month, and in such cases, Venus outshone the other.
Now, an actual Jupiter-Venus conjunction is set to take place tonight. The two will be closest to the dome of the sky. EarthSky reports that their conjunction is set to take place by 5 a.m. CST (11 UTC) of March 2, 2023, but the two may already be spotted tonight.
During this Jupiter-Venus conjunction, Venus will be passing at 0.5 degrees from Jupiter. The view is bound to be spectacular.
Such a phenomenon, however, is a perspective trick of some sort. In actuality, these two planets are incredibly distant from each other, with millions of miles separating them. It will only be from earth's viewpoint that the two seem like they are extremely close to each other.
As per Live Science, because of the orbital patterns of Jupiter, Venus, and the earth, such conjunctions tend to take place once a year or so.
CNN also mentions that while the spectacle may seem exciting to watch, such events actually do not have any astronomical value.
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How To Spot the Jupiter-Venus Conjunction Tonight
One does not need a pair of binoculars or a telescope to catch a glimpse of the cosmic sighting. One just needs to focus on the west after the sun sets, and the two objects should be visible with each other.
Both Jupiter and Venus will seem like remarkably dazzling stars. Jupiter's shine will be two times brighter than that of Sirius, which is the sky's brightest star. Moreover, Venus' brightness will be around six times that of Jupiter.
For skygazers who have their own telescope or pair of binoculars, it would not hurt to use the tools as they may be able to catch a glimpse of Jupiter's three largest moons. These moons are, namely, Callisto, Ganymede, and Io.
For those who are unable to see the cosmic spectacle live, there is a livestream of the Jupiter-Venus conjunction that the Virtual Telescope Project will be holding.
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