Time to look up, stargazers – there’s going to be a planetary "kiss" on June 9.
You'll be able to spot the two brightest planets, Jupiter and Venus, with the naked eye at about 45 minutes after sunset on June 9. Mercury will be nearby as well. They will appear at their closest point of the convergence at 9:35 p.m. ET, according to EarthSky. The planets will trace the ecliptic plane, an imaginary line in the sky that marks the sun’s path. The moon and planets follow this same line.
Venus and Jupiter appear to align about once every 13 months, so the next time they meet in the sky will be on Aug. 5, 2027, but they’ll be obscured by the sun's light. The next visible rendezvous is expected to occur on Nov. 10, 2028, according to SkyandTelescope.
How to get the best view.
Using a set of binoculars will help, according to SkyandTelescope. Both planets will fit within the same field of vision, though it's preferable to watch this celestial spectacle without magnification. That means you can simply use your eyes.
A celestial optical illusion.
While they may look close in the sky, Venus and Jupiter are actually millions of miles apart.
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