Astronomy enthusiasts will be in for a treat this weekend as a stunning sight appears in the sky.
The two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, are headed for an ultra-close conjunction on Saturday, April 30. The occurrence will be similar to the meetup of Mars and Saturn earlier in the month.
So, what exactly is a conjunction?
Such a formation occurs when astronomical objects like asteroids, moons, planets and stars appear to be close together in the sky, as seen from Earth, according to the Adler Planetarium.
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The conjunction won't be as close at the grand conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn at the end of 2020, as the planets will be farther apart. Nonetheless, the sighting will still be really impressive, according to NASA.
This conjunction won't be the only one this month, either. Mars and Saturn met up in an ultra-close conjunction a few weeks earlier.
Conjunctions of Venus and Jupiter aren't rare in themselves, as they occur about once a year, but not all of them are as good as this one expected to be, according to the Adler Planetarium.
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This conjunction will be especially striking due to the brightness of
both planets, how close they will be in the sky, and because they will be visible before the glare of the Sun blots them out, the Adler Planetarium said.
So, the question begs, when can you catch a spectacular view?
The conjunction will be best seen on April 30 and May 1 very low near the eastern horizon about 30-45 minutes prior to sunrise. To catch the best view, you'll want to go anywhere you have a clear view down the horizon to the east.
Before the sight lights up the sky, the Adler Planetarium will host a special Sky Observers Hangout virtual program on April 29 to learn how to best view it.
