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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Perseids meteor shower is often the best of the year, with bright fireballs and colorful tails.</li><li>A <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-how-see-planetary-alignment-five-planets-visible-march-sky-2023-3">planetary conjunction</a> of Jupiter and Mars will also be visible to the naked eye this weekend.</li></ul><p>The Perseids <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/double-meteor-shower-how-when-where-to-watch-aquariids-capricornids-2024-7">meteor shower</a> — the summer's biggest celestial event — is finally here, and it's bringing some friends.</p><p>Widely considered to be the best meteor shower of the year, according to NASA, the Perseids will be on full display this Saturday and Sunday.</p><p>These meteors are leftover bits of dust and debris from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/green-comet-ztf-viewing-where-when-how-see-2023-1">comet</a> Swift-Tuttle. As Earth passes through the comet's trail this weekend, the Perseids will burn up in its atmosphere, creating<strong> </strong>bright, colorful streaks of blue, green, white, orange, purple, and even pink across the sky.</p><p>They're known for their long tails that linger, as well as some <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amateur-astronomer-video-jupiter-bright-fireball-comet-asteroid-impact-2023-9">fireballs — especially bright, explosive</a> meteors that last much longer.</p><p>The Perseids can produce about one to two meteors per minute or between 50 to 100 per hour, according to NASA. But you can only <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eta-aquarids-meteor-shower-shooting-stars-how-to-watch-peak-2023-4">catch a show like</a> that under ideal viewing conditions.</p><p>Turns out, this year is an especially <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eta-aquarids-meteor-shower-shooting-stars-how-to-watch-peak-2023-4">good time to watch</a> because the moon will set around midnight, leaving the skies dark for ideal viewing.</p><p>In addition,<strong> </strong>those shooting stars will streak <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jupiter-venus-conjunction-planets-align-sky-how-where-when-see-2023-2">alongside Jupiter</a> and Mars, which will appear exceptionally close in the pre-dawn skies this weekend.</p><p>Another reason to get outside this weekend is that<strong> </strong>the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saw-northern-lights-surprising-photos-misleading-2024-5">northern lights, or aurora borealis</a>, may appear in some northern parts of the US, from New York to Idaho, on Friday and Saturday.</p><p>The best thing about all of this? You don't <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tried-see-green-comet-fail-2023-2">need a telescope or binoculars</a>. This will all be plainly visible to the naked eye.</p><p>Basically, the heavens are on full display this weekend, and you don't want to miss it. Here's what you need to know.</p><h2 id="27455de5-626c-42e9-9424-a7bd408bcb05">How, when, and where to see the Perseids</h2><p>The Perseids <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lyrid-meteor-shower-will-reach-its-peak-heres-how-to-watch-2023-4">will peak</a> Monday morning, so your best opportunities to see them are overnight on Saturday and Sunday (that is, the wee morning hours of Sunday or Monday).</p><p>The meteors will still be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-see-lyrid-meteor-shower-during-pink-supermoon-2024-4">visible for a few days</a> before and after the peak, just in much smaller numbers. They're visible all over the world, but the Northern Hemisphere gets the most meteors.</p><div type="image" title="Perseids meteor shower" height="1628" width="2048" msid="112411088" hostid="261" sizebytes="468342"></div><p><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/darkest-skies-by-state-watch-space-events-stargazing">Choose a spot away from city lights</a>, preferably with wide open skies. Check the weather before you go, as clouds could ruin your view.</p><p>Bring a picnic blanket or a reclining lawn chair. Staring directly upward with no neck support becomes uncomfortable more quickly than you might think.</p><p>Once <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-discover-underground-moon-cave-astronauts-could-live-2024-7">the moon</a> sets, around midnight, the sky will be much darker and you'll be primely positioned to see the most meteors. Lay back, give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the dark, and enjoy the show.</p><p>Resist the temptation to look at your phone — it could undo all the time you've spent adjusting your eyes to the dark.</p><h2 id="71879db0-40ee-4a4a-ac2d-e5afa374d5d9">Catch a Jupiter-Mars conjunction</h2><p id="71879db0-40ee-4a4a-ac2d-e5afa374d5d9">Jupiter and Mars are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-see-conjunction-mercury-jupiter-saturn-planetary-trio-2021-1">creeping close together in the sky</a>, and you can see them if you stay up late enough.</p><p id="71879db0-40ee-4a4a-ac2d-e5afa374d5d9">In the early morning hours, starting around 2 a.m., look to the east and turn slightly toward the north. Mars and Jupiter will <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jupiter-venus-conjunction-planets-align-sky-how-where-when-see-2023-2">rise side-by-side</a> between the horns of Taurus, the bull-shaped constellation. They'll appear as two bright stars, with Mars having a reddish hue.</p><p id="71879db0-40ee-4a4a-ac2d-e5afa374d5d9">If you don't have a keen eye for constellations, you can find Taurus, Mars, and Jupiter using a phone app like Sky Safari ($4.99 in the App Store) or a website like Stellarium (free).</p><p id="71879db0-40ee-4a4a-ac2d-e5afa374d5d9">Though the two planets will be visible together for days, including over this weekend, the conjunction peaks in the early morning hours of August 14.</p><p id="71879db0-40ee-4a4a-ac2d-e5afa374d5d9">At that point, you could stretch your arm out and easily cover both planets with your pinky finger, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://skyandtelescope.org/press-releases/prepare-for-the-perseids-and-a-pretty-planetary-pairing/">according</a> to Sky &amp; Telescope, a publication of the American Astronomical Society. That's how close Jupiter and Mars will appear.</p><p>Out in space, of course, the planets will still be hundreds of millions of miles apart.</p><h2 id="0d767b3e-1872-45aa-9920-678f55e3aa4e">Watch the meteor shower live online</h2><p id="0d767b3e-1872-45aa-9920-678f55e3aa4e">If you can't get out of the city, you can watch a live broadcast of the Perseids.</p><p id="0d767b3e-1872-45aa-9920-678f55e3aa4e">The Virtual Telescope Project will have an online <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2024/07/19/perseid-meteor-shower-2024-online-observation-12-aug-2024/">livestream</a> from its all-sky camera in Manciano, Italy, which has some of the country's darkest skies, on Sunday and Monday starting at 9 p.m. ET.</p>

How to see the year's best meteor shower this weekend, with fireballs, colorful trails, and a Jupiter-Mars conjunction

<strong>Bengaluru,</strong> State-run <keyword id="415634" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jawaharlal-Nehru-Planetarium">Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium</keyword> in the <keyword id="24914" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="City-centre">city centre</keyword> has made arrangements to watch the <keyword id="10465369" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="celestial-conjunction">celestial conjunction</keyword> of <keyword id="34757" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword> and <keyword id="10465370" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="saturn-planets">Saturn planets</keyword> on Monday between 6.30-7.30 p.m., an official said on Sunday.<br /><br />"We have set up telescopes in our premises to watch the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on Monday evening if weather conditions permit," said the planetarium official in a statement here.<br /><br />Due to the Covid-induced restrictions on people gathering in large numbers in public places, those who register online to watch the <keyword id="862697" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="celestial-event">celestial event</keyword> will be allowed in the planetarium in batches of limited numbers to maintain social distancing.<br /><br />"Those unable to watch the event at the planetarium due to curbs on crowding, can see the conjunction of the two stars online at our website (www.taralaya.org) or Facebook and Youtube channel," said the statement.<br /><br />As the <keyword id="10465371" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="fifth-planet">fifth planet</keyword> from the sun, Jupiter is the largest in the solar system, as a gas giant with a mass one-thousandth of the Sun.<br /><br />"As the sixth planet from the sun and second largest in the solar system, Saturn is a gas giant with an average radius of nine times that of earth," added the official.<br /><br />The conjunction also coincides with the longest day (December 21) in the year as the sun reaches a point where it appears to shine farthest to the south of equator over the Tropic of Capricorn, marking the start of the winter solstice.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ikea-india-cfo-says-she-still-has-3500-crore-to-be-spent-in-india-the-pandemic-has-changed-targets-but-not-the-investment-plan/articleshow/79790938.cms">INTERVIEW: Ikea CFO says she still has ₹3,500 crore to be spent in India⁠— the pandemic has changed targets but not the investment plan</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/india-will-produce-300-million-doses-of-the-russian-sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccine-next-year/articleshow/79795341.cms">India will produce 300 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine next year</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/how-to-check-mrs-bectors-food-specialities-ipo-allotment-status-online/articleshow/79808672.cms">Mrs Bectors Food Specialities IPO allotment: Here’s how to check share allotment status</a></strong>

Watch Jupiter-Saturn conjunction at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru

<ul><li><keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword> and <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword> are set to reunite tonight, on the night of the <keyword id="1324001" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Winter-Solstice">winter solstice</keyword>, for the first time in 800 years.</li><li>On December 21, two of the largest planets in our solar system will come close enough to make it look like they are only a coin’s width apart from Earth. In reality, Jupiter and Saturn will be 400 million miles apart.</li><li>The alignment will create a radiant point of light in the night sky. It is being dubbed as the ‘<keyword id="864236" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Christmas-star">Christmas Star</keyword>’ or the ‘Star of <keyword id="232425" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bethlehem">Bethlehem</keyword>’ due to the proximity of the celestial event to Christmas. In India, the conjunction is likely to be visible between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm.</li></ul>Two of the biggest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will be reunited for the first time in 800 years on the <keyword id="8475579" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="longest-night-of-the-year">longest night of the year</keyword> — or the shortest day — in 2020.<br /><br />The winter solstice, set to occur on December 21, will see these two planets align for the first time since the middle ages. The last time such a December conjunction took place was back in 1226.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="NASA jupiter saturn alignment_edited" msid="79620093" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The expected position of Jupiter and Saturn over the horizon in North America on December 21&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />The two planets will inch closer to each other until they’re only a tenth of a degree apart in the night sky, which is roughly the same thickness as a coin, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (<a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/2567/whats-up-december-2020-video/">NASA</a>).  They will be visible nearly an hour after sunset in the southwestern sky.<br /><br />In India, the conjunction is likely to be visible between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm.<br /><br /><strong>The greatest of all great conjunctions<br /></strong>To be fair, Jupiter and Saturn align every 20 years or so. The event is dubbed the ‘great conjunction’. However, this year is the first time they’ll be lining up in the month of December and it’s the closest the planets have been since 1623. <br /><br />According to NASA, it's the ‘greatest’ of all great conjunctions between Jupiter and Saturn. Astronomers and sky gazers will be able to see the two giant planets and their moons within the same field of view by just using a telescope or a pair of binoculars. <br /><br />  <div type="image" title="NASA jupiter saturn alignment 2_edited" msid="79620073" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Jupiter, Saturn and their moons with be closer than they ever have been in 800 years on 21 December 2020&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />Even though Jupiter and Saturn will be 400 million miles apart, they’ll create a radiant point of light in the night sky from Earth’s point of view. <br /><br />This phenomenon is being called the ‘Christmas Star’ or the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ due to the proximity of the event to Christmas.<br /><br />Amy C Oliver, the spokesperson for the Center of Astrophysics at Harvard and the Smithsonian, told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/06/science/space/jupiter-saturn-align-christmas-star.html">New York Times</a> that the next time Jupiter and Saturn would be this close will be in 2080 — 60 years down the line. <br /><br />So while the wait will be shorter this time around, for most adults, this is still a once in a lifetime opportunity.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/earth-gets-its-first-asteroid-samples-from-300-million-kilometres-away-and-they-could-hold-clues-to-the-origins-of-life/articleshow/79608779.cms">Earth gets its first asteroid samples from 300 million kilometres away — and they could hold clues to the origins of life</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/canara-bank-launches-2000-crore-qip-sets-the-floor-price-at-103-50-per-share/articleshow/79617503.cms">Canara Bank’s ₹2,000 crore fundraising plan boosts the share price by over 12% in two days</a><br /></strong><br />

Jupiter and Saturn will reunite after 800 years on the shortest day of the year to form a rare 'Christmas star'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6372165" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mercury">Mercury</keyword>, <keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword>, and <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword> are aligned in the night sky, appearing closer together than they've been since 2000.</li><li>When three <keyword id="6448742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Planets">planets</keyword> move into such a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">conjunction</a>, it's known as a planetary trio.</li><li>Here's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-jupiter-saturn-align-conjunction-2020-12">how to see</a> the conjunction on Monday night.</li></ul><p>Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn are currently clustering together in the night sky.</p><p>Monday is <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/whats-up-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/">the final night</a> that the three planets will be lined up and visible at twilight. They appeared the closest they'd been in more than two decades on Sunday, forming an equilateral triangle.</p><p>"This shape is just a blip in time," Amy Oliver, a spokeswoman for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/09/metro/planets-align-form-rare-trio-this-weekend/#:~:text=The%20last%20planetary%20trio%20was,Saturn%20will%20come%20close%20together.">told the Boston Globe</a>. "We won't see it exactly like this ever again, since it probably isn't going to happen again in this exact same way - at least not in your lifetime."</p><p>An astronomical event in which celestial bodies align like this is called a conjunction. A triple alignment like this is known as a planetary trio.</p><p>If you hold your palm up to the sky and all three planets cluster within a circle that fits in the space between your ring finger and your pointer finger, that's a trio. </p><p>Here's how to see the planetary trio before it's gone.</p><h2>Head out at twilight, and bring binoculars</h2><div type="image" title="mercury" height="3090" width="4010" msid="80223937" hostid="261"></div><p>On Monday, head out at twilight, between half an hour and 45 minutes after sunset. Look to the southwestern sky. The clearer the sky is, and the father from city lights you are, the easier it will be to see the conjunction. </p><p>Jupiter will look brightest to the naked eye (it's about 10 times bright than Saturn), followed by Mercury, then Saturn. </p><p>Since Saturn is so dim, it may not be distinguishable from the sun's afterglow with the naked eye. So the best way to spot the planetary triangle is to focus your eyes on Jupiter, which will be near the top, then point a pair of binoculars at it. Mercury and Saturn should appear in the same binocular field as Jupiter, <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/planetary-trio-low-in-west-at-dusk#link=%7B%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22href%22:%22https://earthsky.org/tonight/planetary-trio-low-in-west-at-dusk%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22,%22linkText%22:%22EarthSky%22%7D">according to EarthSky</a>. </p><p>After Monday, Jupiter and Saturn will dip below the horizon and no longer be visible, while Mercury will continue rising in the sky night after night - moving steadily away from the other two planets.</p><p>Although the three worlds seem to almost touch during the planetary trio, Jupiter and Saturn are actually separated by <a href="https://www.planetsforkids.org/closest-planet-to-saturn.html">almost five times</a> the distance between Earth and the sun. Mercury and Saturn are separated by nearly twice that distance. </p><h2>The last time these 3 planets aligned so closely was in 2000</h2><div type="image" title="saturn" height="2628" width="3504" msid="80223938" hostid="261"></div><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-jupiter-saturn-align-conjunction-2020-12">Astronomers turned their telescopes skyward</a> last month to catch another conjunction event, when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">Jupiter and Saturn aligned</a> more closely than they had for centuries.</p><p>In the last 2,000 years, there were just two times that Jupiter and Saturn came closer in the sky: One was in 1623, but the sun's glare made it impossible to see. The other was in 1226. </p><p>Planetary trios, by contrast, are far more common. The last one was in October 2015. Another trio, involving Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter, will happen on February 13, <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/planetary-trio-low-in-west-at-dusk#link=%7B%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22href%22:%22https://earthsky.org/tonight/planetary-trio-low-in-west-at-dusk%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22,%22linkText%22:%22EarthSky%22%7D">according to EarthSky</a>.</p><p>The last time Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn formed a triangle was <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/alignment.html">in May 2000</a>.</p>

Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn are clustering in the night sky in a rare, three-planet conjunction event. Here's how to see it on Monday.

<keyword id="20021374" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sriharikota" source="keywords">Sriharikota</keyword> (Andhra Pradesh), India on Monday ushered in the New Year in a grand manner by orbiting its X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (<keyword id="18080438" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="xposat" source="Orion">XPoSat</keyword>).<br /><br />At about 9.10 a.m. on the first day of the calendar year 2024, India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C58 (PSLV-C58) standing 44.4-metre tall, with a lift off mass of 260 ton blasted off from the first launch pad at the <keyword id="6356967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="satish-dhawan-space-centre" source="Orion">Satish Dhawan Space Centre</keyword>, here.<br /><br />The rocket carried XPoSat and 10 other experimental payloads on its fourth stage.<br /><br />Slowly rising up towards the skies with a thick orange flame at its tail, the rocket gained speed with a sound resembling rolling thunder and went up and up leaving a thick plume while the people assembled at the viewing gallery clapped their hands with pride.<br /><br />Interestingly, this is the first space mission for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on January 1.<br /><br />At about 21 minutes into its flight, the rocket ejected XPoSat at an altitude of about 650 km.<br /><br />Speaking after the launch ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said: "The orbit accomplished for XPoSat is excellent as the deviation is just three kilometres. The solar panels of the satellite have been deployed."<br /><br />In its normal configuration, the PSLV is a four-stage/engine expendable rocket powered by solid and liquid fuels, alternatively, with six booster motors strapped onto the first stage to give higher thrust during the initial flight moments.<br /><br />The ISRO has five types of PSLV rockets -- Standard, Core Alone, XL, DL, and QL.<br /><br />The major difference between them is the use of strap-on boosters which, in turn, largely depends on the weight of the satellites to be orbited.<br /><br />The PSLV uses 6,4,2 solid rocket strap-on motors to augment the thrust provided by the first stage in PSLV-XL, QL &amp; DL variants, respectively. However, strap-ons are not used in the core-alone version (PSLV-CA).<br /><br />The XPoSat is the first dedicated scientific satellite from the ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources. The satellite configuration is modified from the IMS-2 bus platform. The configuration of the mainframe systems is derived based on the heritage of IRS satellites. It carries two payloads, namely POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing).<br /><br />The POLIX is realised by the Raman Research Institute and XSPECT is by the <keyword id="20021857" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="space-astronomy-group" source="keywords">Space Astronomy Group</keyword> of the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC).<br /><br />According to the ISRO, the three objectives of XPoSat are: (a) To measure polarisation of X-rays in the energy band 8-30keV emanating from about 50 potential cosmic sources through <keyword id="20021856" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="thomson-scattering" source="keywords">Thomson Scattering</keyword> by POLIX payload. (b) To carry out long-term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources in the energy band 0.8-15keV by XSPECT payload and (c) To carry out polarisation and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from cosmic sources by POLIX and XSPECT payloads, respectively, in the common energy band.<br /><br />After orbiting the XPoSat in 650km, the rocket's fourth stage -- PS4 stage -- will be lowered to 350km, about 9.6 deg orbit, by restarting it twice. The left-out propellant in the PS4 will be disposed of through the main engines as a precursor to enabling the safety of the PS4 stage in atmosphere reentry experiments planned in future.<br /><br />The oxidiser will be let out first followed by fuel in a predetermined sequence of operations. The existing scheme of spent stage passivation by venting the tank pressure will also be active. Post passivation of PS4, the control of the stage is transferred to the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) avionics, the ISRO said.<br /><br />The POEM is configured as a 3-axis stabilised orbital platform for conducting experiments to space qualify systems with novel ideas.<br /><br />The orbital platform's electrical power requirements are catered by a Flexible Solar Panel in conjunction with 50Ah Li-Ion battery in battery tied configuration.<br /><br />The orbital platform consists of avionic systems to take care of navigation, guidance, control and telecommands and Orbital Platform Attitude Control System to cater to control of the platform to test the payloads, the ISRO added.<br /><br />The 10 payloads are from TakeMe2Space, LBS Institute Technology for Women, K J Somaiya Institute of Technology, Inspecity Space Labs Private Ltd, Dhruva Space Private Ltd, Bellatrix Aerospace Private Ltd (two payloads) and three payloads from the ISRO.<br />

Space success: India ushers in 2024 by orbiting XPoSat successfully

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="47638" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mars">Mars</keyword> and <keyword id="6436894" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="venus">Venus</keyword> will align in the sky on Monday and Tuesday, appearing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">almost to touch</a>.</li><li><keyword id="6448742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Planets">Planets</keyword> move into alignments like this, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saturn-moon-conjunction-smartphone-pictures-2019-4">called conjunctions</a>, fairly often. This pair last aligned in 2019.</li><li>This conjunction will be easily visible. Here are the best ways to see it.  </li></ul><p>Mars and Venus are about to line up in the night sky, getting so close on Monday and Tuesday that they'll almost seem to touch.</p><p>An astronomical event in which celestial bodies align in the sky like this is called a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">conjunction</a>.</p><p>All month, Mars and Venus have been creeping nearer to one another. After sunset on Monday night, the two planets will appear so close together that a full moon couldn't fit in between. That's just a finger's width apart if you hold your hand up to the sky, <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/whats-up-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/">according to NASA</a>. </p><p>The two planets will actually get closest together in the early hours of Tuesday morning, but daylight will make that impossible to see. So instead, people will have to wait until after the sun sets on Tuesday to see the two planets clustered together again. After that, the pair will start getting farther and farther apart. </p><h2>To see the conjunction, go out soon after sunset and look west</h2><p>To catch a glimpse of the conjunction, head out around twilight - 45 minutes to an hour after sunset. The two planets will be visible to the naked eye after the sun sinks low below the horizon.</p><p>Look toward the lowest part of the western sky, close to the horizon, underneath the crescent moon. Binoculars or a telescope could give you a better view if you have them. (Websites like <a href="https://stellarium-web.org">Stellarium</a> can help you orient a telescope in the right direction.)</p><p>If you're on the East Coast, get outside before 10:07 p.m. local time, <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/whats-up-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/">NASA says</a>, because after that, Mars will start setting below the horizon, followed by Venus. (Venus sets <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/young-moon-venus-and-mars-conjunction/">about two hours</a> after sunset.)</p><h2><div type="image" title="mars and venus conjunction NASA" height="1080" width="1440" msid="84364035" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>Mars and Venus are actually separated by <a href="https://theplanets.org/distances-between-planets/">74.4 million miles</a>, almost the distance between Earth and the sun. </p><p>The two planets will be easy to distinguish from one another in the sky because Venus shines <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/young-moon-venus-and-mars-conjunction/">about 190 times brighter</a> than Mars, which also has appears reddish brown.</p><p>Fortunately, the moon will only be about 10% illuminated by the sun on Monday and Tuesday, which makes the alignment easier to see in clear skies.</p><h2>This pair of planets won't appear this close again until 2034</h2><div type="image" title="venus NASA image" height="900" width="1200" msid="84364036" hostid="261"></div><p>Planetary conjunctions aren't uncommon. Last year, Jupiter and Saturn aligned in a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">"great conjunction,"</a> appearing so close in the sky that they formed what looked like a double planet. Before that, those two planets had not appeared that close from Earth's vantage point since March 4, 1226 - nearly 800 years ago.</p><p>The last time Mars and Venus where this close from Earth's vantage point was on August 24, 2019. But that conjunction wasn't visible because the duo was too close to the sun, <a href="https://astronomy.com/magazine/news/2021/07/how-to-see-the-venus-and-mars-conjunction-this-month">according to Astronomy.com</a>.</p><p>If you miss the upcoming conjunction, you can observe another Mars-Venus alignment on February 22, 2024. On that day, though, the two planets won't look quite as close together as they will on Monday and Tuesday. To glimpse another conjunction like this one, <a href="https://astronomy.com/magazine/news/2021/07/how-to-see-the-venus-and-mars-conjunction-this-month">Astronomy.com</a> reports, you'll have to wait until May 11, 2034.</p>

Mars and Venus will appear just a finger's width apart in the night sky on Monday and Tuesday. Here's how to see it.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Photographers from around the world captured <keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword> and <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword> aligning almost perfectly in the night sky this week.</li><li>Monday was the closest the two <keyword id="6448742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Planets">planets</keyword> have appeared in 800 years — the last time they were both this close and visible was in 1226.</li><li>The two planets move into alignment, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saturn-moon-conjunction-smartphone-pictures-2019-4">or conjunction</a>, every 20 years. But this year they were close enough to look like a "double planet."</li></ul><p>On the eve of the winter solstice, Jupiter and Saturn seemed to touch in the night sky.</p><p>The last time the two planets looked this close from Earth's vantage point was nearly 800 years ago. The astronomical event is called a conjunction, the term for an alignment of celestial bodies. Since this conjunction involved the two biggest gas giants in our solar system, it's known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_conjunction">great conjunction</a>.</p><p>The conjunction wasn't a one-night event: The planets' approach in the sky started December 17, and they'll continue to appear close together until Christmas Day. Monday was just when Jupiter and Saturn were at their very closest. So if you haven't seen it yet, you've got a few more nights to try.</p><p>This <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">"Christmas star,"</a> as the conjunction has been nicknamed, appeared brighter than nearly every star in the sky, <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">according to NASA</a>. That made the two planets easy to photograph. </p><p>Katherine Trouche, a <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> communicator with <keyword id="6360409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nasa">NASA</keyword>'s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, snapped an impressive photo (below) using her telescope and an iPhone XR. </p><div type="image" title="jupiter saturn conjunction" height="752" width="757" msid="79895292" hostid="261"></div><p>"To be able to see five moons and two planets over 400 million miles away using nothing but pieces of glass and metal is nothing short of astonishing," she told Business Insider.</p><h2>A double planet</h2><p>The distance between Jupiter and Saturn is actually <a href="https://www.planetsforkids.org/closest-planet-to-saturn.html">more than four times</a> that between Earth and the sun.</p><p>But on Monday, the planets were separated in the sky by a distance equal to about one-fifth of a full moon's diameter. That's so close that the two points of light formed a kind of double planet.</p><p>People from around the world captured the rare alignment over the past week.</p><p>Photographer Alireza Vafa snapped this view of the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn above the Alborz Mountains in Iran.</p><p>Con Kolivas, an engineer and amateur astronomer from Australia, took this photo on Sunday.</p><p>Gary Hershorn, a photographer based in New York City, encountered cloudy conditions on Monday. But he captured a shot of the two planets approaching one another the week before, above the Statue of Liberty.</p><div type="image" title="jupiter saturn conjunction" height="976" width="1440" msid="79895294" hostid="261"></div><p>"As a photographer, I have been looking forward to seeing the 'Christmas Star,'" he told Business Insider. "The two planets have been setting next to the Statue of Liberty for the past week getting a bit closer together each day. It was a beautiful sight to see last week as they came down behind the statue."</p><p>The best time to catch a glimpse of the conjunction is at twilight, during the hour after sunset. Look low in the sky, toward the southwest. (Websites like <a href="https://stellarium-web.org/">Stellarium</a> can help you orient your telescope.)</p><div type="image" title="saturn jupiter conjunction skitch" height="3654" width="4873" msid="79895296" hostid="261"></div><p>For those who want to see the event online on Tuesday, the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York is hosting a live stream event from its telescopes on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59KrPxtFIQne_xh6_j2q-w">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aaadotorg/">Facebook Live</a> starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.</p><h2>A rare celestial event</h2><p>Jupiter and Saturn align to some degree every 20 years.</p><p>"But it is fair to say that this conjunction is truly exceptional in that the planets get very close to one another," Patrick Hartigan, a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, <a href="https://sparky.rice.edu/~hartigan/public-night/jupsat.html">explained on his website</a>.</p><p>In the last 2,000 years, there were just two times that Jupiter and Saturn came closer in the sky than they got this year. One was in 1623, but the sun's glare made it impossible to see. The other was in 1226.</p><div type="image" title="conjunction" height="1041" width="1041" msid="79895299" hostid="261"></div><p>Viewers will have to wait until March 15, 2080 to see Jupiter and Saturn as close as they were on Monday.</p><p>"The major challenge there is you'll have to stay alive for another 60 years to see it!" Hartigan said.</p>

Photos reveal Jupiter and Saturn aligned in the sky as a 'Christmas star' that hadn't been seen for 800 years

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Monday brings <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-equinox-and-solstice-work-in-simple-animation-2020-9">the longest night of the year</a>, along with the opportunity to watch a rare celestial occurrence.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">Jupiter and Saturn will appear so near each another</a> in the sky that they seem to touch. Their conjunction hasn't come this close since 1226.</li><li>At the same time, the Ursids meteor shower will send shooting stars streaking across the night sky.</li></ul><p>Monday night brings an astronomical anomaly. It's the longest night of the year for the Northern Hemisphere - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-equinox-and-solstice-work-in-simple-animation-2020-9">the winter solstice</a> - and it will feature both a meteor shower and a once-in-800-years "double planet."</p><p>You don't need a telescope to see any of this.</p><p><keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword> and <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword>, which shine as bright as stars in the night sky, will appear so close to each other that they <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">seem to touch</a>. An alignment, or conjunction, between these two planets happens every 20 years, but the last time they looked this close from Earth's vantage point was on March 4, 1226.</p><div type="image" title="saturn jupiter conjunction skitch" height="3263" width="4351" msid="79848142" hostid="261"></div><p>At the same time, the Ursids meteor shower will be peaking, sending five to 10 shooting stars across the night sky per hour. That's because Earth will be passing through the thickest part of a trail of debris left behind by comet 8P/Tuttle. As those bits of ice and dust burn up in the atmosphere, they can leave bright flares in the sky.</p><p>This will all take place on the <keyword id="1324001" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Winter-Solstice">winter solstice</keyword>, when the tilt of Earth's axis and the shape of its orbit bring the Northern Hemisphere to its farthest point from the sun. That makes Monday the shortest day (and longest night) of the year for that half of the globe.</p><p>You can take advantage of the long night to see the historic double planet and bonus meteor shower.</p><h2>How to see Jupiter and Saturn meet amid shooting stars</h2><div type="image" title="meteor shower watch hammock stargazing" height="1666" width="2222" msid="79848145" hostid="261"></div><p>Jupiter and Saturn are separated by more than four times the distance between Earth and the sun. But on Monday night, they will be separated in the sky by a distance equal to about one-fifth of a full moon's diameter.  <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">According to NASA</a>, a pinkie finger at arm's length should easily cover both Jupiter and Saturn in the sky.</p><p>This "<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">Christmas star</a>," as the conjunction has been nicknamed, should appear brighter than nearly every star in the sky, <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">according to NASA</a>.</p><p>So you should be able to see it with the naked eye, especially if you're far from city lights. A telescope or binoculars could help you spy the planets' moons. Your phone's camera could even capture photos of the merging planets, according to <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">NASA</a> - if your timing is right.</p><p>"You will need to have a clear southwestern horizon and no low clouds in the distance," Patrick Hartigan, a professor of physics and <keyword id="6391802" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="astronomy">astronomy</keyword> at Rice University, <a href="https://sparky.rice.edu/~hartigan/public-night/jupsat.html">said on his website</a>.</p><p>For viewers in the US, Canada, and Europe, it could be challenging to see the conjunction because of how low it will be on the horizon, Hartigan said.</p><div type="image" title="Jupiter saturn conjunction" height="1569" width="2092" msid="79848147" hostid="261"></div><p>"Viewing conditions are best close to the equator, though no matter where you are, there is maybe an hour or so to observe this conjunction before the planets sink into the haze," he added.</p><p>For best viewing of the conjunction, head out around twilight - the hour after sunset - and point your telescope toward the southwestern sky. (Websites like <a href="https://stellarium-web.org/">Stellarium</a> can help you orient your telescope.)</p><p>To catch the shooting stars, stay out a bit later. Once the moon sets - after midnight - dark skies will make a better backdrop to spot meteors.</p><p>If it ends up cloudy on Monday, don't worry. The conjunction will last through December 25. The solstice is just when the two planets will be at their very closest in the sky.</p><p>The Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, will host a <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.youtube.com_watch-3Fv-3DXrRcfaWutLQ-26feature-3Dyoutu.be&amp;d=DwIGaQ&amp;c=tq9bLrSQ8zIr87VusnUS9yAL0Jw_xnDiPuZjNR4EDIQ&amp;r=d43P1fgSxo0AkG0k1nHrtcSf299oOk2cPPJBikEuWIg&amp;m=dE8e0NB48WvZGnOaPHF4Je1bwOoQN70PFdtjGbr-Ros&amp;s=v9b0usqphmvIfQeJZUQ1pLAR7Z1_D2AijVTGUy6fXFU&amp;e=1_D2AijVTGUy6fXFU&amp;e=">YouTube livestream</a> of views through its telescopes starting at 7 p.m. ET on Monday. In Rome, <a href="https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2020/10/01/the-2020-jupiter-saturn-great-conjunction-online-observation-21-dec-2020/">the Virtual Telescope Project</a> also plans to share live views of the conjunction.</p><p><em>Aylin Woodward contributed reporting.</em></p>

Tonight is the longest night of the year. You can use it to see a meteor shower and the historic Jupiter-Saturn 'double planet.'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword> and <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword> will align in the night sky on Monday. It'll be the closest they've appeared in 800 years.</li><li>The two <keyword id="6448742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Planets">planets</keyword> move into alignment, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saturn-moon-conjunction-smartphone-pictures-2019-4">or conjunction</a>, every 20 years. But this year they will be so close that they'll look like a "double planet."</li><li>The last time Saturn and Jupiter were both this close and visible was in 1226.</li><li>Here are the best ways to see, photograph, or watch a live stream of the conjunction.</li></ul><p>Jupiter and Saturn are about to line up in the night sky, getting so close on Monday that they'll seem to touch.</p><p>The last time they looked this close from Earth's vantage point was nearly 800 years ago, on March 4, 1226.</p><p>An astronomical event in which celestial bodies align is called a conjunction. Since this conjunction involves the two biggest gas giants in our solar system, it's known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_conjunction">great conjunction</a>. It happens to some degree once every two decades.</p><p>"But it is fair to say that this conjunction is truly exceptional in that the planets get very close to one another," Patrick Hartigan, a professor of physics and <keyword id="6391802" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="astronomy">astronomy</keyword> at Rice University, <a href="https://sparky.rice.edu/~hartigan/public-night/jupsat.html">explained on his website</a>.</p><p>He added, "In fact, they will be so close it may be a challenge to separate them with the unaided eye for many people."</p><p>Here's how to see this rare conjunction on Monday night.</p><h2>How to view a 'double planet'</h2><h2><div type="image" title="jupiter.hubble" height="1247" width="1663" msid="79379632" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>Jupiter and Saturn are actually separated by <a href="https://www.planetsforkids.org/closest-planet-to-saturn.html">more than four times</a> the distance between Earth and the sun.</p><p>But on Monday, the night of the winter solstice, they will be separated in the sky by a distance equal to about one-fifth of a full moon's diameter, according to Hartigan. That's so close that the two points of light will look like they form a double planet. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">According to NASA</a>, a pinkie finger at arm's length should easily cover both Jupiter and Saturn in the sky.</p><p>This <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">"Christmas star,"</a> as the conjunction has been nicknamed, should appear brighter than nearly every star in the sky, <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">according to NASA</a>.</p><p>Viewed through a small telescope, Jupiter and Saturn should appear in the same field of view, along with some of their moons.</p><div type="image" title="jupiter saturn conjunction" height="706" width="978" msid="79379633" hostid="261"></div><p>For viewers in the United States, Canada, and Europe, it could be challenging to see this conjunction because of how low it will be on the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere, Hartigan said.</p><p>"Viewing conditions are best close to the equator, though no matter where you are there is maybe an hour or so to observe this conjunction before the planets sink into the haze," he added.</p><p>To catch a glimpse, head out around twilight - the hour after sunset - and point your telescope toward the southwestern sky. (Websites like <a href="https://stellarium-web.org">Stellarium</a> can help you orient your telescope.)</p><p>"You will need to have a clear southwestern horizon and no low clouds in the distance," Hartigan said.</p><p>He recommends setting up your telescope before it gets dark and bringing binoculars, which could help you <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">spot Jupiter's four moons</a> too.</p><h2><div type="image" title="Jupiter saturn conjunction" height="1569" width="2092" msid="79845776" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>If it ends up being cloudy where you live on Monday, don't worry, Hartigan said. The conjunction is an ongoing event that lasts until December 25 - Monday is just when the two planets will be the closest in the sky.</p><p>"You can imagine the solar system to be a racetrack, with each of the planets as a runner in their own lane and the Earth toward the center of the stadium," Henry Throop, a NASA astronomer, said <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">in a press release</a>. "From our vantage point, we'll be able to be to see Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on December 21."</p><h2>You could photograph the conjunction with your phone</h2><p>Jupiter and Saturn's conjunction "can be photographed easily on DSLR cameras and many cell phone cameras," <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">NASA said</a>.</p><p>The agency suggests using the <a href="https://thegadgetflow.com/blog/best-night-mode-shots-gadgets/">"night mode"</a> feature on an iPhone, Pixel, or Galaxy to get a stable, long-exposure photo.</p><p>"Try to frame the planets with something - the silhouette of a tree, an outdoor landscape, the arch of a building, or even a neon sign," <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">NASA said</a>.</p><p>If you use a DSLR camera, a tripod is recommended to get good long-exposure photos. In the absence of a tripod, set your camera to a shutter speed of less than one-quarter of a second. Also be sure to open your camera's aperture to its widest setting and use manual focus mode, NASA said.</p><p>For people who can't head outside for the event, the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, will host a <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.youtube.com_watch-3Fv-3DXrRcfaWutLQ-26feature-3Dyoutu.be&amp;d=DwIGaQ&amp;c=tq9bLrSQ8zIr87VusnUS9yAL0Jw_xnDiPuZjNR4EDIQ&amp;r=d43P1fgSxo0AkG0k1nHrtcSf299oOk2cPPJBikEuWIg&amp;m=dE8e0NB48WvZGnOaPHF4Je1bwOoQN70PFdtjGbr-Ros&amp;s=v9b0usqphmvIfQeJZUQ1pLAR7Z1_D2AijVTGUy6fXFU&amp;e=1_D2AijVTGUy6fXFU&amp;e=">YouTube livestream</a> of views through its <keyword id="62018" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Telescopes">telescopes</keyword> starting at 7 p.m. ET on Monday. In Rome, <a href="https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2020/10/01/the-2020-jupiter-saturn-great-conjunction-online-observation-21-dec-2020/">the Virtual Telescope Project</a> also plans to share live views of the conjunction.</p><h2>Another conjunction like this will come in 2080</h2><p>In the last 2,000 years, there were just two times that Jupiter and Saturn came closer in the sky than they'll get this year. One was in 1623, but the sun's glare made it impossible to see. The other was in 1226.</p><p>But if you miss the conjunction on December 21, another will come in 60 years.</p><div type="image" title="saturn" height="2628" width="3504" msid="79379634" hostid="261"></div><p>On March 15, 2080, Jupiter and Saturn will look just as close as they do this month. That event will be easier to see, since it'll appear higher above the horizon, Hartigan said.</p><p>"The major challenge there," he added, "is you'll have to stay alive for another 60 years to see it!"</p>

Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer in the sky than they have for 800 years on Monday, aligning as a 'double planet.' Here's how to see it.

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table center float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>A&#xa0;celestial event happening this week will be so bright even people in bright cities like&#xa0;New York City, will get to see it - as long as the morning skies remain clear of clouds.<p>The two brightest planets in the night sky, Venus and Jupiter, plus the dimmest, Mars, will appear to pass extremely close to one another all of this week.&#xa0;</p><p>This close encounter is called a triple planetary conjunction and we won't see another one like it until <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34638603#?utm_source=twitterfeed&amp;utm_medium=twitter">January 2021</a>.&#xa0;</p><p>The apparent distance between Venus and Jupiter will be so small Tuesday&#xa0;morning that you could take your thumb and place it over both Jupiter and Venus and completely cover them.</p><p>The best time to see this rare celestial event is just before sunrise because that's when the three planets are high above the horizon but it's still dark enough to spot all three of them.&#xa0;While spotting Mars might be difficult on its own, you should be able to spot the red-tinted point in reference to Venus and Jupiter. &#xa0;The triangle that the planets make wil&#xa0;be only&#xa0;about 5 degrees wide, or about the <a href="http://oneminuteastronomer.com/860/measuring-sky/">width of your three middle fingers</a>.&#xa0;</p><p>Here's how they'll look this week, with Venus and Jupiter passing one another as the week progresses:</p><p><div><p><a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/xTiTnhC1gb97DakPbG">via GIPHY</a></p></div></p><p>To see this awesome event, all you have to do is go outside before sunrise and look up toward the eastern horizon. The two bright specks are a dead giveaway.&#xa0;</p><p>While binoculars or a telescope will give you a better view of the planets, you should be able to spot all three with the unaided eye.</p><p>And if you're extra diligent you might even be able to spot a fourth planet: Mercury.</p><p>"As dawn brightens, look for a fourth planet, Mercury, lurking way down near the horizon below the other three," <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/venus-jupiter-conjunction-this-weekend-with-mars-too/">Sky and Telescope</a> reports. "Don't delay; Mercury is sinking lower day by day."</p><p>Throughout the entire month of October, the three planets have been inching ever-closer. Here's an animation showing their motion for the first half of the month:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>Despite their apparent close encounters, the three planets will not actually collide or pass close to each other in space. They only appear to do so because of their locations in the night sky.&#xa0;</p><p>Right now Venus is about <a href="http://theskylive.com/venus-tracker">65 million miles</a> from Earth; Jupiter is 560 million miles from Earth; and Mars is about 207 million miles away.</p><p><span>Of the three planets, Venus is the closest to Earth and, therefore, the brightest.&#xa0;</span>While Jupiter is much farther than Mars, it is more than 20 times larger, which is why it's so much brighter. Moreover, the surface of Mars is less reflective than either Jupiter or Venus, which also explains why it is so dim.&#xa0;</p><p><em>If you get any shots of the conjunction, send them with a description, your name, and location to our <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> team at <a href="sendto:science@businessinsider.com">jorwig@businessinsider.com</a> and we might feature them on our site.</em></p><p>Check out more about the event on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCuQXGCuiPo">ScienceAtNASA</a> below:</p><p><div><div id="ooyalaplayer" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pluto-charon-love-story-hopeless-romantic-planet-nasa-new-horion-2015-9">Pluto and its moon Charon have something that doesn't exist anywhere else in the solar system</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="dpN2ZudzrH_ry0UkEnNf2WpZYP4qtqEk" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

How to watch Mars, Venus, and Jupiter come together in a rare close encounter this week

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>There's a celestial event happening tonight that will be so bright even observers in dense, luminous cities, including New York City, will get to see it, so long as the skies remain clear of clouds.</p><p>The two brightest planets in the night sky - Venus and Jupiter - will appear to pass extremely close to one another on the evening of June 30. It'll be the closest they've been all year, and their apparent distance from one another will be so small that if you took the tip of your pinky finger and placed it over both planets, you would completely cover them!</p><p>This close encounter is called the <a href="http://sparky.rice.edu/~hartigan/venjup.html">Venus-Jupiter conjunction</a> and it usually happens once a year. But this year's event is particularly special because of when it's taking place and how close the planets will appear to come together - close enough that they will almost seem to collide with each other.</p><p>To see this awesome event, all you have to do is go outside and look up in the right direction at the right time (no special equipment necessary):</p><p>"Look to the west-northwest as soon as it gets dark," Patrick Hartigan, an astronomer at Rice University explains on <a href="http://sparky.rice.edu/~hartigan/venjup.html">his website</a>. "After about two hours for most latitudes the objects will become difficult to observe as they begin to set. They are bright. You might mistake them for airplanes."</p><p>Jupiter and Venus will be bright enough that you might even be able to see both of the planets during the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ppuCZR8Mkw">twilight hour before it gets dark</a>.</p><p>Throughout the entire month of June, Venus and Jupiter have been inching ever-closer in the night sky. Here's an animation showing their motion since June 20 and how close they'll be on the evening of June 30:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Venus and Jupiter are not only the brightest planets, they're also the brightest objects - besides the Moon - that observers can spot at night. In fact, they're so bright they can even be seen from cities, unlike most stars and all other planets.</p><p>Of course, the planets are not actually going to collide. They only appear to do so because of their locations in the night sky. At the time of the conjunction, Venus will be 49 million miles from Earth while Jupiter will be more than 10 times farther, 564 million miles.</p><p>Although there's at least one Venus-Jupiter conjunction each year, not all of them are visible or nearly as spectacular as the one taking place tonight. That's because sometimes the conjunction happens during the day while other times it will be visible at night, but the two planets' closest approach will be farther apart. Here's an image of the conjunction of 2012 when the two planets weren't nearly as close as they'll be on June 30:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>These differences all depend on the speed and orientation of Venus, Jupiter, and Earth as they orbit the sun. The next time the planets will align like this and we'll see a spectacular conjunction will be on March 1, 2023.</p><p><em>If you get any shots of the conjunction, send them with a description, your name, and location to our <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> team at <a href="sendto:science@businessinsider.com">science@businessinsider.com</a> and we might feature them on our site.</em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-sun-space-solar-prominence-erupting-2015-5">NASA captured an incredible event on the sun's surface on video</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="d5N3Z3dDpZN9P5qHXy0KYevy7VYOrdF4" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "celestial conjunction" and got 11 results

How to see the year's best meteor shower this weekend, with fireballs, colorful trails, and a Jupiter-Mars conjunction

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Watch Jupiter-Saturn conjunction at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru

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Jupiter and Saturn will reunite after 800 years on the shortest day of the year to form a rare 'Christmas star'

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Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn are clustering in the night sky in a rare, three-planet conjunction event. Here's how to see it on Monday.

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Space success: India ushers in 2024 by orbiting XPoSat successfully

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Mars and Venus will appear just a finger's width apart in the night sky on Monday and Tuesday. Here's how to see it.

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Photos reveal Jupiter and Saturn aligned in the sky as a 'Christmas star' that hadn't been seen for 800 years

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Tonight is the longest night of the year. You can use it to see a meteor shower and the historic Jupiter-Saturn 'double planet.'

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Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer in the sky than they have for 800 years on Monday, aligning as a 'double planet.' Here's how to see it.

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How to watch Mars, Venus, and Jupiter come together in a rare close encounter this week

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How to watch tonight's rare close encounter of the two brightest planets in the night sky

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