There’s a lot happening in the sky on February 11. Not only will it be especially dark thanks to the new moon, but on Thursday morning, a little before sunrise, look up and you’ll see Venus closely approach Jupiter.
You should just be able to see this planetary conjunction happen with the naked eye, but binoculars or a basic telescope are always handy when looking up at celestial events.
How to spot this rare conjunction? According to Farmer’s Almanac, about 30 minutes before sunrise look low on the southeast horizon. At that point, the planets should have risen just highly enough above the horizon to be seen. The sun won’t yet have begun to brighten the sky, and you should be able to see Jupiter and Saturn shining very closely together—just 0.4 degrees apart.
CHECK OUT: See the Stunning Winners of the Northern Lights Photographer of the Year Competition
If you’re in for a cloudy Thursday, trying looking on Friday morning—the planets will appear close together then, too.
And if you don’t have a paper sky chart or map to orient yourself with? Not to worry. You can use a handy app like Star Walk 2 to easily find these two gas giants, right where you are.
SHARE The Bright Celestial News With Pals on Social Media…