Your chance to see the Venus and Jupiter dance
You'll be able to cover both with the tip of an outstretched pinky finger. Amazing stuff!
Local astronomers have been taking a keener interest than usual in the goings on in the night sky. With the clear winter skies over Dundee, it has been easy to see the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, are gliding closer together in the early evening sky, and their celestial dance culminates with an ultra-close pairing on June 30th.
Look to the North West after dark and see brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter (higher, bit to the right) close in on each other each evening – just after sunset.
On the 30th June (tomorrow) they will be close together that it should be quite a sight
At the beginning of June, the two planets were 20° apart in the sky, about twice the width of your fist held at arm’s length. Week by week, Jupiter and the stars behind it have gradually slipped lower in the evening twilight. But Venus, due to its rapid orbital motion around the Sun, has stayed high up.
The warm-up act came on June 19th and 20th, when the planetary duo was joined by a thin and lovely crescent Moon.
Farther to their upper left, and fainter, was Regulus, the alpha star of LeoFor eight nights beginning June 27th, these two bright planets will be within 2° of each other — close enough to cover both with the thumb of an outstretched hand. In the midst of that weeklong run, on June 30th, Venus and Jupiter will appear so close together — just 1/3° apart — that they’ll look like a tight, brilliant double star in the evening sky. You’ll be able to cover both with the tip of an outstretched pinky finger. Amazing stuff!
You’ll be able to cover both with the tip of an outstretched pinky finger. Amazing stuff!
Surely, this spectacle must be some kind of omen. Well, yes, it’s a sign from the heavens to get outside and look!
Take a photo (use a tripod) and send them in to the Courier! The best one will be published as our image of the week feature.
