Look west after sunset to witness Venus & Jupiter share rare ‘cosmic kiss’ tomorrow

Lucknow: City residents will get a chance to witness a rare celestial spectacle this week as Venus and Jupiter are set to appear extremely close in the evening sky, creating what astronomers popularly describe as a ‘cosmic kiss’.

According to experts, the two brightest planets will reach their closest apparent approach on Tuesday, making the phenomenon clearly visible on Tuesday evening.

“A ‘cosmic kiss’ is a non-scientific term used to describe a planetary conjunction, when two celestial bodies — most commonly Venus and Jupiter — appear very close to each other in the night sky from Earth’s perspective,” said Sumit Srivastava, senior scientific officer.

He explained that the two planets will appear just 1.6 degrees apart — roughly the width of a little finger held at arm’s length. “Both Venus and Jupiter will be the brightest objects in the twilight sky. The event will also coincide with Mercury’s visibility, resulting in a rare three-planet alignment, often referred to as a ‘planet parade’,” he added.

Astronomy enthusiasts have been advised to look towards the western sky around 45 minutes after sunset to observe the event. Officials said the planets will remain within five degrees of each other between June 4 and June 14, although the closest approach will offer the most striking view.

Officials at the Indira Gandhi Planetarium said the event can be seen with the naked eye, though binoculars and small telescopes will enhance the viewing experience.

“While binoculars will provide a clearer view of the planetary grouping, small telescopes may even reveal some of Jupiter’s largest moons and show Venus as a partially illuminated disc. We are planning to install telescopes for the public to witness this celestial event,” they said.

Venus, often referred to as the ‘evening star’, is expected to shine brighter than Jupiter during the phenomenon. Astronomers attribute this to Venus being closer to Earth and having highly reflective cloud cover, making it appear more luminous in the night sky.