Venus and Saturn cozy up in the night sky Sunday - a planetary conjunction
This planetary conjunction may be a little challenging for some to see because it will be visible very low in the sky and only for a short time.
More Stories
This weekend, Venus and Saturn will meet up in the Sunday evening twilight, just after sunset.
This planetary conjunction may be a little challenging for some to see because it will be visible very low in the sky and only for a short time.
It will be a beautiful sight, but be sure you have a wide open view of the western sky, with no buildings or trees in the way.
The sky will also be a bit bright because the sun will set at 6:55 p.m. EDT. Best viewing will be after 7 p.m. as the sky darkens. Don’t delay – both planets will set at 8:02 p.m.
A planetary conjunction is when two planets appear to meet up and almost touch in the sky. Venus and Saturn will only be separated by 1 degree. That short distance is about the width of your finger at arm’s length.
The interesting thing is that the two planets will look like they are super close in our sky, but in reality, they are about 900 million miles away from each other.
Venus will be the really bright-looking object. It’s the second brightest natural object in the night sky, so you can’t miss it!
Saturn, on the other hand, is dimmer. You may have seen these two planets in our evening sky already, but Sunday is when they will be closest.
Look for them in the west and in the constellation Pisces.
Venus stays visible in the evening sky through the summer, while Saturn will slow fade from the night sky.
Saturn remerges as a “morning star” in April.
