Two of the brightest planets will be together in the night sky: How to see Jupiter and Venus
It'll be a dazzling beginning of March in the night sky, as the two brightest planets in our solar system will appear to be right next to each other.
Jupiter and Venus have been shining throughout February, and even aligned with the moon last week. But as the new month begins, the two planets will be in a conjunction, when the distance between Jupiter and Venus will be "smaller than the width of a pinky finger," AccuWeather says.
In reality, the two planets are over 400 million miles apart.
As long as weather conditions permit, it will be easy to spot the conjunction because Venus in the the brightest planet in our solar system and third object overall – behind the sun and the moon – with Jupiter behind it, according to EarthSky.
Here's what to know about the conjunction:
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Why are Jupiter and Venus so bright?
Venus is next to Earth in terms of the solar system order, making it easier to see than others. However, EarthSky says the planet also has thick, reflective clouds that reflect sunlight onto us, making it so bright. It has a -4.0 magnitude, close to the moon's -6.0 magnitude when it's in its crescent phase.
Meanwhile, Jupiter's brightness comes from it being the biggest planet in our solar system, despite it being much further from Earth.
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How to see the Jupiter and Venus conjunction
The conjunction will happen on the night of March 1 into March 2.
EarthSky says the closest pairing will happen shortly after sunset Wednesday, and by looking west, viewers should see Jupiter on the left and Venus on the right.
They will appear close throughout the night.
On March 2, the two planets will still be close each other, but Venus will be northwest of where Jupiter appears in the sky.
If you miss the conjunction, Jupiter and Venus will still be viewable for quite some time. EarthSky says Jupiter will disappear into the sunset glare at some point in March, while Venus will remain in sight until August.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.