Put down the cell phone. Go outside. Look up.

[KQ]

Been watching this for the couple of weeks - very cool!

'Double star' moment for Jupiter and Venus in the night sky




(CNN)Put down the cell phone. Go outside. Look up.

Tuesday night, Jupiter and Venus will culminate a month-long dance with what astronomers say will be a dazzling display, appearing just a fraction of a degree apart from one another in the night sky -- a show that some astronomers say could account for the "Star of Bethlehem" mentioned in the Bible.

"To the eye they'll look like a double star," Sky & Telescope editor Kelly Beatty said on the magazine's website.

To see the lineup, look to the west-northwest shortly after sunset.

This isn't a particularly rare event; such conjunctions are fairly frequent, thanks to how Earth and the two planets line up in the solar system, according to Sky & Telescope.

But the combination of how close the planets will appear -- one-third of a degree -- the viewing angle at many latitudes and the time of day make this a particularly special event that ranks "very highly" among conjunctions, Rice University astronomer Patrick Hartigan wrote on his website.

Although the planets will appear to draw near one another in August and again in October, the next such event to rival Tuesday night's won't happen until 2023, he said.

And although the two planets will appear to be close together, in reality, millions of miles of empty space separate them.

The lineup won't have any impact on Earth or anything else in the solar system, except scads of folks looking up for a better view, Sky & Telescope senior editor Alan MacRobert said.

"These planetary groupings in the sky have no effect on Earth or human affairs -- except for one," he said. "They can lift our attention away from our own little world into the enormous things beyond."

[The AD]

Thanks for this. Not sure I would have heard about it otherwise!

[Timberridge]

Yet another sign of the apocalypse.

It's been nice knowing all of you. See you on the other side.

[iamTRuTH]

Yet another sign of the apocalypse.

It's been nice knowing all of you. See you on the other side.

Thanks for all the fish.

[hutash]

Why bother, I can get a better picture on my cell phone.

[Ottime]

It's Tuesday night in central Italy and they don't look so close. They are closer than they were a week ago, but not a third of a degree close. Wonder if it is too late (about two hours after sunset) or if this is only the view from NA.

[The AD]

It's Tuesday night in central Italy and they don't look so close. They are closer than they were a week ago, but not a third of a degree close. Wonder if it is too late (about two hours after sunset) or if this is only the view from NA.

Can't believe it would matter where on the Earth you are viewing it from.

[PB]

I call BS/hoax ..... everybody knows Venus is the MORNING star

[stuckathuntermtn]

And evening.
It's legit. Been watching it for a while.
I was out by my bro's where there isn't too much light pollution and Google Skymap told me what these bright dots were on the horizon. Been kinda cool to watch. Also, with a good pair of binos, I thought I could see a few points of light around Jupiter. 2 or 3. Galileo up in here!

[Tippster]

Cloudy & rainy here, boss.

[BmillsSkier]

This and a glimpse of the Aurora just outside ATL (10 min drive) all in one week.

Who wants to touch me?

[plugboots]

Or pick up your phone and take a picture.

[Ottime]

^^^that is closer than what I saw, but not by much. That certainly looks more than a third of a degree.

Whatever. The two of them have been pretty spectacular the past week plus. Saw them last Monday night in Along the Big Sur coast. The night sky is fairly spectacular there when the fog is not in.

[KQ]

Jupiter, Saturn and the moon to line up in night sky this week

[The SnowShow]

Doesn’t look Insta worthy

[old goat]

Been watching this for the couple of weeks - very cool!

'Double star' moment for Jupiter and Venus in the night sky




(CNN)Put down the cell phone. Go outside. Look up.

Tuesday night, Jupiter and Venus will culminate a month-long dance with what astronomers say will be a dazzling display, appearing just a fraction of a degree apart from one another in the night sky -- a show that some astronomers say could account for the "Star of Bethlehem" mentioned in the Bible.

"

Does that mean Donald Trump is the baby Jesus?

[PB]

Does that mean Donald Trump is the baby Jesus?

Uh nooo .....; just the opposite.

[SB]

Then he is full grown adult Jesus?

[TBS]

Got a nice display of meteors last night. Will be checking again tonight

[iceman]

This and a glimpse of the Aurora just outside ATL...

a glimpse of the what now?

[SB]

All I could see was that moon thing.