‘Cosmic kiss’: Venus and Jupiter to meet in evening sky

According to NASA, the two planets will be visible low above the western horizon shortly after sunset as they reach a conjunction.

Although Venus and Jupiter may seem almost close enough to touch, the effect is purely a matter of perspective. In reality, the planets remain separated by hundreds of millions of kilometers. Astronomers refer to the phenomenon as a planetary conjunction, which occurs when celestial bodies appear near one another in the sky as viewed from Earth.

The event will be visible without telescopes or binoculars.

From June 11 to 15, Mercury will join Venus and Jupiter low above the western horizon, creating what NASA describes as a miniature parade of planets.

The alignment occurs because the planets orbit the Sun along nearly the same apparent path across the sky, known as the ecliptic. As a result, they occasionally appear to cluster together when viewed from Earth.

On June 17, observers in parts of North and South America will be able to witness a lunar occultation of Venus, when the Moon briefly passes in front of the planet, causing it to disappear from view before reappearing later.

The month will also bring the June solstice on June 21, marking the start of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest days of the year.

NASA additionally recommends looking for the Summer Triangle, a prominent pattern formed by the bright stars Vega, Altair and Deneb. The region contains several well-known deep-sky objects, including the Dumbbell Nebula, Ring Nebula and North America Nebula, which become visible during summer evenings.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that scientists had discovered 27 potential planets orbiting two suns.