The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will still be visible on March 2, 2023
On March 1 and 2, 2023, Venus and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye at dusk.
Did you miss it yesterday? The rapprochement between Jupiter and Venus will still be visible tonight with the naked eye, or with a telescope. The two brightest planets of the moment are only 1° apart, and deliver a magnificent spectacle.
The conjunction of two celestial bodies is far from being a rare phenomenon, but it offers a magnificent spectacle, sometimes observable with the naked eye. The proof with Venus, which had already crossed Neptune for Valentine's Day, and is about to overtake Jupiter.
?What is a conjunction
The conjunction can concern planets, but also stars, moons or asteroids . It can even give rise to an eclipse. More than a rapprochement, it is a crossing between two stars: Jupiter descends towards the horizon, while Venus begins its ascent.
But a conjunction is above all an optical illusion! Seen from a third celestial object, the two planets appear to be getting closer in the sky. In reality, this is not the case at all, Venus and Jupiter are 670 million kilometers away! It is the difference in size between the two bodies, as well as their distance from the Earth, which gives this illusion of rapprochement. Venus is indeed ten times smaller than Jupiter, but also almost four times closer to Earth.
?When and how to observe this conjunction between Venus and Jupiter
Our advice: to observe them, take our sky map ! Whether you are in metropolitan France, Switzerland or Belgium, go out at nightfall, between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., far from any light pollution, and observe the sky towards the western horizon. Find yourself in the intense brightness of Venus in the evening sky, then you will easily find Jupiter. Over the nights, you will be able to observe the evolution of the distance between the two planets.
Although easily visible to the naked eye, it is also possible to observe this conjunction using binoculars or an amateur telescope. With a little luck, and a clear sky, you will be able to recognize Venus, Jupiter, but also its four Galilean satellites (in order of distance): Io, Europe, Ganymede and Callisto.
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