At the beginning of March many people were able to observe a planetary conjunction between Jupiter and Venus. For the clueless who missed this spectacular astronomical event, these days the higher spheres offer us a new pass in which, in addition, the Moon will make an appearance.
Two planets are in conjunction when they appear close together when viewed from a third, in this case Earth. Actually the conjunction is a perspective effect, since there are actually millions of kilometers between the planets, but seen from Earth it seems that they are almost touching.
On March 13 there was the closest approach between Jupiter and Venus. As both are very bright, they are easy to identify and the event could be observed even from large cities with a lot of light pollution. But the show is not over. During the nights of March 25, 26 and 27, the Moon joins the event and escorts the two planets in the evening sky. On the night of the 25th the Moon could be observed very close to Jupiter, while on the 26th it will be Venus who is next to our satellite. And finally, on March 27, in addition to having the three stars aligned, it will be the moment when Venus reaches its maximum separation from the Sun and, therefore, the best opportunity to observe Venus in good condition in the sunsets of 2012.
To observe the phenomenon, you do not need binoculars or a telescope, just stand in a place facing west and from which the horizon is clear. You have to wait about 30 minutes after sunset so that the clarity of the twilight is not so intense, although the conjunction can also be observed without problems at night.
(Photo: Pedro Arranz and César González (The Sky at Your Reach)
