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

Venus and Jupiter near Empire State Building
(Image credit: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

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.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 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.