Venus, Jupiter to shine incredibly close for 2 nights this week
The two planets will not appear this close again until 2028, and will be visible without a telescope after sunset.
From a trio of planets lining up with a crescent moon to a solstice bringing the beginning of astronomical summer, here are the top astronomy events to mark down on your June 2026 calendar.
The first of two major planetary alignments of June is about to unfold as Jupiter and Venus shine side-by-side in the evening sky.
It will be hard to miss the pairing in the western sky after sunset, as the two can be easily seen without a telescope. Venus will be the brighter of the two, shining to the right of Jupiter on the evenings of Monday, June 8, and Tuesday, June 9.
"These two blazing worlds in our evening sky will be only about 1.5 degrees apart," EarthSky explained on its website. "Your pinky held at arm’s length should just fit between them. Don’t miss this!"
Venus and Jupiter will not appear this close again in the night sky until November of 2028.
Planets Jupiter and Venus in conjunction are seen after sunset above LAquila, Italy, on March 1st, 2023. (Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The planets will begin to drift away from each other in the night sky, but will remain fixtures in the evening throughout the rest of June. They will also be the centerpiece of another celestial sight later in the month.
From June 16-18, the crescent moon will sweep past Jupiter and Venus. As an added bonus, Mercury will also be glowing nearby, creating a must-see planetary alignment.
Since the event unfolds across three evenings in mid-June, onlookers can check the AccuWeather app to see which night will have cloud-free weather to see the alignment.
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