Venus and Jupiter, very close in the sky and spectacularly bright just after sunset

[ETL]

Just after sunset tonight, and in the weeks and months to come, look to the south west and you'll see two amazingly bright 'star-like' objects. They are the planets Venus and Jupiter. Venus is by far the brighter of the two and is directly 'below' Jupiter at this time (as we see them in the sky). By December 1st, they will be joined by the Moon, making for what the pros say will be the best easily viewed sky show of 2008 (no telescope or binoculars needed). In fact, Venus is so bright at this time that it can be mistaken for the headlight of an oncoming airplane or hovering helicopter.

Here below from the website Heavens-Above.com is a set of sky maps showing how the show will progress over the next few days. The red dot on the right is the setting sun (note where West, East, North and South are on the map). The two blue dots near the Sun are the planets Mars and Mercury, both of which are impossible to see at this time. All of the maps below represent the sky at sunset:

Tonight, Saturday, Nov 29th, 2008

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday, Nov 30th, 2008

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Monday, Dec 1st, 2008

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

__________________________________________________________________________________________

SOURCE FOR THE SKY MAPS: HEAVENS-ABOVE.COM:
http://heavens-above.com/

NOTE: Heavens-Above.com also has visible pass schedules for the International Space Station (ISS). (once on the HA site, see "ISS"). You'll first have to register with the site and tell them your general location, so that they can provide you the proper viewing information for your particlar area.

Also see SpaceWeather.com for related and other info:
http://spaceweather.com/

[sionnsar]

Thanks for the heads’ up. Now if only the clouds would depart from Seattle’s skies...

[djf]

It was clear the other night! And Venus was spectacularly bright, it might even be possible to see it before sunset. (which can be done if conditions are right)

But they are both very low in the sky.

If it clears today it might be a good chance.

(PS: I’m in Pierce county, in the Puyallup neighborhood)

[ELS]

bump for future reference

[ETL]

But they are both very low in the sky.

"Very low in the sky" depends on where you are. Here at 41 degrees latitude (New York City), they are about 1/3rd of the way up from the horizon at sunset. If you are in the southern states, they will of course appear higher than that.

[ETL]

bump for future reference

They ain't gonna be in these locations in the future. Unless you mean the links?

[Tanniker Smith]

Stopped me in my tracks last night. I glanced down someone’s driveway and there they were, perfectly lined up, the only two lights in the sky. Beautiful. I’ll have to have my telescope handy tonight.

[djf]

The Seattle area is at about 48 degrees.

Plus, of course, viewing conditions are best when it’s dark, and I saw them 2-3 hours after sunset.

[ETL]

The pair are currently setting about 2-1/2 hours after sunset.

[mikrofon]

Pic and story from Sky & Telescope

[arbee4bush]

We saw them last night also. They were glowing and bright. I asked my son as he was getting in the car to leave to look up. He said they were Venus and Jupiter. Off he went and I said to my husband as we walked back into the house that our son was pulling our leg (kidding).

Well, I guess he wasn't!

[sionnsar]

I don’t have a chance anyway, unless I go for a drive. Too many tall trees.

[ETL]

Man! I could have saved a lot of work with that one little pic! Thanks.

:)

[autumnraine]

My daughter pointed those out to me the other night. I was outside chatting with a friend in Australia and get better reception outside. She said “Look Mommy, two stars stacked on top of each other!”.

I thought they were too bright to be just stars.

Cool, I will have to tell her this.

[Enchante]

Thanks for the info — I wanted to look this up today b/c I saw them last night and I was stunned, they were SO bright. I figured they must be planets but I didn’t know which ones and I had never seen two planets close together like that before and soooooo brilliant...... I’m in a rural area of northern Utah where there is very little ambient light, so I have a wonderful view of them.

[Rummyfan]

Have seen these two beautiful planets in the evening sky here for the last two weeks. Venus is so bright it’s easy to mistake it for an airplane at first.

[ETL]

The brighter of the two is Venus. Here in the northern hemisphere, Jupiter is the one on top. I take it you, being in the southern hemisphere, see the brighter Venus on top?

[autumnraine]

No, I’m in the US, I was just talking to a friend who is IN Australia.

It looked to me like the brighter one was on bottom to me. My daughter said it was more “shimmery”.

[ETL]

Yes, in the northern hemisphere, then, the brighter Venus is on the bottom. Watch as the days pass how it moves more and more to the left (east) of Jupiter. On Monday, Dec 1, the pair will be joined by the crescent Moon. That should really be an amazing sight.

Other info: the current distance to Venus is about 100 million miles. To Jupiter, apprx 500 million.

[autumnraine]

Two extremely bright *stars* accompanied by a crescent moon! It’s a sign! Of what I don’t know, but surely a sign of something?

Really though, I can’t wait to take my kids out to see that Monday night!

Thanks for letting me know.