ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

How to see Jupiter and Venus 'kissing' in the sky on Wednesday evening

People are silhouetted against the sky at dusk as they watch the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in Edgerton, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) People are silhouetted against the sky at dusk as they watch the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in Edgerton, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Share

Just after sunset on Wednesday, Jupiter and Venus will appear to embrace in the evening sky.

"Jupiter and Venus will be at their closest approach point on Wednesday evening, March 1," Paul Delaney, an emeritus professor of physics and astronomy at York University, told CTVNews.ca. "As the evening progresses, while they're still above the horizon, they are just going to be dazzling over there on the western sky."

As the two brightest objects in our sky after the sun and moon, the planets Venus and Jupiter should be clearly visible to most Canadians if the clouds allow it, including those in cities. Delaney says they'll appear clearly distinct but very close together, almost as though they're "nudging" or "kissing." To catch the celestial dance, be sure to have an unobstructed view, then look west about 10 minutes after sunset to find Venus emerging from the twilight.

"Venus is going to pop out really clear: it'll be about two fists' widths above the horizon," Delaney explained. "And then give it a couple more minutes, and you'll see Jupiter just above it. So you're looking for the two brightest points of light, a good hand-span above the western horizon."

Venus appears as a bright pinpoint of white light, while Jupiter is slightly duller. At their closest, the planets will seem to be about a moon's width apart before drifting away again.

"Anybody who's been looking towards the western sky over the last couple of weeks will have noticed that Jupiter has been sinking like a stone towards Venus, getting closer and closer," Delaney added. "And after Wednesday, they're going to begin to separate again, they'll get further and further apart."

With Earth and Mars orbiting the sun between them, Venus and Jupiter of course are not actually close together in space.

"They're actually over 750 million kilometres apart," Delaney said. "But from our perspective, as we on Earth look past where Venus is into the outer solar system, it's that apparent alignment that we're looking at between."

With a pair of binoculars, you may be able to spot three or four of Jupiter's larger moons; with a telescope, you might also see the tops of Jupiter's clouds.

Elaina Hyde is a professor in York University's physics and astronomy department, and also the director of the Allan I Carswell Observatory in Toronto. If conditions are clear, the observatory will be live-streaming the event , starting at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

"We expect it to be a treat for both urban and rural viewers, so fingers crossed that the weather is clear," Hyde told CTVNews.ca. "A chance to view our neighbour planets is always exciting, seeing them close together in the sky gives us a chance to see celestial mechanics in action."

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

BREAKING

BREAKING

Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

Local Spotlight

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.