Venus and Jupiter: Together at Last

The two brightest planets in the early evening sky gliding close together, their celestial dance culminates with the most-applauded close on 30 June.
Evening sky even brief two brightest planets that have focused anyone Indeed, Venus and Jupiter, has been set at bundling in the west. At the beginning of June, the two planets in the sky 20 ° apart, about twice the width of your fist held at arm length. Week of behind will gradually slipped lower bundling Jupiter and the evening stars. But Venus, because of the rapid orbital motion around the Sun, it will stay high.


As a result, the slow motion sky has set the stage for a dramatic convergence vision. Act two warm the planetary fine, when one has a beautiful crescent moon, June 19th and 20th day of. Their distance and mass of the top left, Royal, the star alpha Leo. (I was to ride all my friends: "Now go out West ..!")
Without one you can not miss - but now, spectacles, taking more dramatic turn. For eight nights starting June 27, the two bright planets will be in another 2 ° - an outstretched hand close enough to cover both index fingers. Just 1/3 ° apart - - evening sky strong, bright double stars that will run the center like Netball Association, June 30 th, Venus and Jupiter will be so close together, appear. You will be able to cover both drowned point fingers outstretched pinky. Adolph!
Surely, this spectacle should be some kind of pretext. Well, yes, it is not a sign from heaven, and to get outside! As the technology and my colleague Alan MacRobert, like most people of our wonderful scenic collaborative fun game begins. "Celestial groups have no impact on the planet Earth or human - except one," he said. "Our little world that they can be removed from our attention beyond the huge things. The whole time that amateur astronomers."

In fact, these two planets such as sharing or close pairings, especially not rare. Even low-Earth orbit of Venus at 1.3 °, 3.4 ° is the only Jupiter. Hence, it is expected to happen this close partnership. For example, the two together a little before dawn (but not the height) appeared on 18 August, they can be allocated about 1 ° before dawn on the morning of 26 October.
Sky, Telescope contributing editor Fred Schaaf brings up a very interesting point: Venus-Jupiter shared 3-2 series like BC offense that the three current proposals to close the star of Bethlehem. Very close to sharing the first two, about 1 ° from the last one, three occurred near Royal, who was all up to the same, "he explains," in the case and 2014-15 as "heaven."