Two bright planets take part in night-like action, as the Perseid Meteor Shower approaches its peak.
Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the sky, meet together very early on Tuesday morning (August 12th). This morning, the two planets are not at a distance. The length of your pinky finger when exposed to the sky by the arm length. They appear nearby, so you can see both at the same time through a sky-watching binocular or a backyard telescope.
However, if you want to see conjunctions, you have to leave late or get up early. Venus and Jupiter will rise up around 3am local time and set them together around 6am local time. However, these times vary slightly depending on the exact location. You can use the times and dates to see the exact rise and set times for your area.
Venus and Jupiter rise east along with the constellation Gemini, and rise about 20 degrees above the horizon before sunrise. They are fairly low on the horizon, so you’ll want to observe them in almost flat areas with many trees, buildings, or other obstructions to the east.
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Thanks to its outstanding brightness, it is easy to find Venus and Jupiter with the naked eye. Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky after the moon, followed by Jupiter. But seeing these planets with a decent backyard telescope or binoculars is a treat you don’t want to miss.
Jupiter and Venus Skywatching
A peek into a pair of backyard telescopes and skywatching binoculars will reveal Jupiter’s cloud band, and perhaps even its famous, great red spot. The Redspot, a giant storm in Jupiter’s cloud band, faces the planet every 10 hours when Jupiter completes rotation, twice the width of the Earth.
Related: How to take photos of the moon: Camera gear, settings, and configuration tips
The red spots of Jupiter are the most visible across the meridian of Jupiter, the imaginary line between the North and the Antarctic. You can use this tool from Sky & Telescope to check the passing times of your Red Spot.
Skywatching equipment reveals hidden wonders in Venus, such as its phase. Like the moon, Venus passes through new, crescent moons, quarters, small items, and full stages due to its position compared to Earth and the Sun.
However, unlike the lunar stage, Venus stages are only visible through the skywatching equipment. And while the moon completes all phases within a month, Venus takes 584 days.
The moon somewhat confuses the perspective of this event. Planets are best seen under a dark moonless sky. However, the conjoining night moon is illuminated about 90% to 95% after the peak of the full sturgeon moon, rising around 9:30pm and set around local time.
Luckily, Jupiter and Venus are bright enough to avoid being completely washed away by the moonlight. The moon also heads west, but Venus and Jupiter rise in the east, allowing you to see this bond away from the bright face of the moon. For a better viewing experience, try observing this bond from places where the moon is obscure by trees and other obstacles that block its glare.
And if you miss this conjunction, don’t worry. Venus and Jupiter will be nearby for the next few nights, but will slowly drift away as August approaches.
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