Jupiter and Venus to 'kiss' in the night sky Wednesday evening


Jupiter and Venus have been getting closer to each other in the night sky and will meet on Wednesday evening before moving apart again. "It is an apparent close approach from our perspective, as the planets are in fact hundreds of millions of kilometers apart," said Paul Delaney, professor emeritus at the York University Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Venus, often called the "morning star" or "evening star" depending on its spot in the sky, is the brighter of the two planets. Jupiter, the solar system's largest planet, will be located slightly above it to the left. The planetary "kiss" occurs approximately once a year, according to CBC News.
"Venus and Jupiter are somewhat common conjunctions, occurring about once a year, but if you have clear skies it should still be a very fun object to view," remarked Elaina Hyde, director of York University's Allan I Carswell Observatory. "At magnitude –2.1 and –4, the planets Venus and Jupiter are two of our brightest objects to see in the night sky."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In addition to the planets crossing paths, some may also be able to see three of Jupiter's brightest moons: Io, Ganymede, and Callisto. Scientists recommend using binoculars to get the best view.
"Any time the brightest planets, as seen from Earth, 'get together,' it is worth the look," said Delaney. "I never tire of watching their dance with respect to the background stars."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocrat
Feature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?
Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlock
Feature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo
-
The moon is rusting
Under the radar The Earth is likely to blame
-
Panspermia: the theory that life was sent to Earth by aliens
Under The Radar New findings have resurfaced an old, controversial idea
-
Africa could become the next frontier for space programs
The Explainer China and the US are both working on space applications for Africa
-
NASA reveals ‘clearest sign of life’ on Mars yet
Speed Read The evidence came in the form of a rock sample collected on the planet
-
SpaceX breaks Starship losing streak in 10th test
speed read The Starship rocket's test flight was largely successful, deploying eight dummy satellites during its hour in space
-
Hurricanes are not exclusive to Earth. They can happen in space.
Under the radar These storms may cause navigational problems
-
Rabbits with 'horns' sighted across Colorado
speed read These creatures are infected with the 'mostly harmless' Shope papilloma virus
-
Why does the US want to put nuclear reactors on the moon?
Today's Big Question The plans come as NASA is facing significant budget cuts