Venus and Jupiter to Appear Near One Another on June 9

Two of the brightest planets in the night sky, Venus and Jupiter, will appear exceptionally close together in the western evening sky this week, culminating in a close conjunction on Tuesday, June 9. The event will be easily visible to the naked eye shortly after sunset.

The planets will be at their closest on June 9, appearing just 1.6 degrees apart—about three times the width of a full moon. This proximity will allow both planets to fit comfortably within the field of view of standard binoculars or a low-power telescope. The best viewing window is from about 45 minutes to two hours after sunset, with the evenings immediately before and after June 9 offering nearly the same spectacle. Observers are advised to find a location with a clear view of the western horizon.

While appearing close together from Earth's perspective, the conjunction is an optical illusion caused by the planets' alignment along our line of sight. Venus, an inner planet, will be approximately 110 million miles from Earth. Jupiter, an outer gas giant, will be about 560 million miles away, roughly five times farther. Due to its relative proximity and highly reflective cloud layers, Venus will shine...