After the Eta Aquarids meteor shower back in May 2026, the night sky is serving up another celestial spectacle. Over the next few nights, keep your eyes peeled for Venus and Jupiter, which will appear unusually close together in the sky. The 2 bright planets will look like a pair of glowing orbs, making for a pretty sight even if you’re not a seasoned stargazer.
Image credit: Kelvin Tung via Facebook
Over the next few nights, Venus and Jupiter will look as though they’re almost touching, appearing less than 2° apart in the sky. This event is known as a conjunction, an astronomical term used when 2 celestial bodies appear close together in the sky from our perspective on Earth. While the planets are actually millions of kilometres apart, their positions in their respective orbits create the illusion that they’re almost side by side.
What makes this sighting worth catching is that it’ll be the closest visible approach between Venus and Jupiter until late 2028, according to National Geographic. So if you miss it this time round, you’ll have to wait a few years before seeing the pair cosy up this closely again.
Image credit: Santhi Steven via Facebook
Although Venus and Jupiter will be putting on a show over the next few nights, they’ll appear closest together on the evenings of 8th and 9th June 2026. If you haven’t caught the duo yet, tonight is your last chance to see them at their closest.
Look towards the western sky shortly after sunset to spot them – the planets will be visible from about 7.45pm onwards, for roughly 2 to 2.5 hours after sunset.
Image adapted from: Jackie Lur via Facebook
It’s also recommended to head somewhere with an unobstructed view and start looking about 45 minutes after sunset. By then, the sky should be dark enough for the planets to stand out, while they’re still high enough above the horizon to be easily spotted.
Interestingly, based on photos shared online, some have managed to capture the view right from their own homes. So if you have an unobstructed view of the west, you might not even need to step out to catch the show.
Fun fact: Venus will appear about 7.5 times brighter than Jupiter, making it the easier of the two to spot even in slightly hazy city skies.
Venus and Jupiter will put on a simple but striking show for anyone who happens to look up after sunset. Maybe take a minute or two in the evening to step out or just look out your window. After all, it’s not every day the sky lines up like this.
More nighttime activities:
Cover image adapted from: Kelvin Tung via Facebook
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