The next sunsets will bring a subtle spectacle in the sky: Venus and Jupiterthe brightest planets, will appear to get closer night after night until culminating in a conjunction visible from Puerto Rico.
The Caribbean Astronomy Society (SAC) reported that The phenomenon can be observed shortly after dark, mainly on Monday, June 8, and Tuesday, June 9.
“The celestial spectacle will be best seen between 7:35 pm and 8:20 pm”indicated the educational entity.
According to the SAC, on Monday, the pair of planets can be seen aligned horizontally, while on Tuesday they will look even a little closer to each other. On that day, Venus will be located a little higher and to the right of Jupiter.
The conjunction occurs as both planets move in their respective orbits and, from Earth’s perspective, appear to approach each other in the sky.
Early Tuesday night, Venus will be just over 111 million miles, or 178.8 million kilometers, from Earth, while Jupiter will be about 562 million miles, or 904.7 million kilometers, also from Earth.
The SAC explained that, although Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, Venus appears brighter due to its proximity and highly reflective atmosphere. Being also closer to the Sun, Venus acts as a mirror for the sunlight it receives.
Although it is seen as a very bright point from Earth, Venus is very similar in size to Earth.