This Weekend: Venus, Jupiter, Crescent Moon Make for Dazzling Display

By BETH DALBEY (Patch Staff) and Jaimie Cura; originally posted on June 19

Skywatchers are in for a treat over the next couple of nights when the three brightest celestial bodies — the moon, Venus and Jupiter — make an appearance in the western sky just after sunset.

“On these nights, these three bright worlds lie close together in Earth’s evening twilight sky,” EarthSky reports. “Be sure to catch the glorious threesome as night is falling because they’ll all follow the sun beneath the horizon by early-to-mid evening. On the evening of June 19, the waxing crescent moon sets first, followed by Venus and then Jupiter.”

For the next two nights, the moon will be a little higher in the western twilight. For viewing conditions, check your local forecast.

Below, watch a NASA video of the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter before continuing with the article.

While you’re stargazing, look for Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the sky.

As the month progresses and into early July, Venus and Jupiter align in what will be the planets’ closest conjunction until Aug. 27, 2016.

• Related: Look Up in the Sky As Venus and Jupiter ‘Collide’

The best nights to view Venus as it passes Jupiter are the nights of June 30 and July 1, according to EarthSky.org. Unless it’s cloudy, it will be hard to miss the spectacular alignment, because Venus and Jupiter are the third- and fourth-brightest celestial bodies, respectively, after the Sun and Moon.

The planets will appear to race closer to Regulus, located above Jupiter above Jupiter, with each passing day. Regulus is the brightest star in the Leo the Lion constellation.

While you’ve got your eyes fixed toward the heavens, make a mental note – or, better yet, bookmark this page for easy referral later on – of two big meteor showers, theDelta Aquarids and Perseids, according to the SeaSky website.

The Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower

The remnant of two different comets, Marsden and Kracht, this shower runs from July 12-Aug. 23, peaking overnight on July 28th and into the morning of the 29th. Normal sightings are in the 20-per-hour range, but a full moon on the 31st will wash out all but the brightest meteors.

The Perseids Meteor Shower

Leftovers from the Swift-Tuttle comet, the Perseids are favorite among many skywatchers. Visible from July 17-Aug. 24, they will peak overnight on Aug. 12 with 60 sightings per hour. The show should be amazing this year with a new moon on the 14th making for dark skies.

Photo Credit: EarthSky; Photo by Muffet, via flickr creative commons