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View of the evening sky: the two bright points next to the moon are Venus and Jupiter
Photo: Astronomical Center Martinsbe / dpa
Anyone observing the clear night sky these days will see two bright points close together in the southwest.
"Jupiter and Venus have come closer and closer in the past few weeks and days," said the chairman of the Association of Star Friends, Sven Melchert.
On their orbits around the sun at different speeds, they have come closest to each other these days and then move away from each other again.
Both planets are easy to distinguish: Venus is significantly brighter than Jupiter.
Optical illusion pretends to meet planets
The supposed rendezvous of the gas giant Jupiter in the outer solar system and our neighbor Venus in the inner solar system is only an optical impression.
Venus is currently a good 200 million kilometers from Earth, the largest planet Jupiter more than 860 million.
From now on, the distance between the two celestial bodies will increase again.
On March 23, the crescent of the waxing moon will be in the sky between the two.
"Such encounters between Jupiter and Venus can be seen about every two years," said Melchert.
The next will culminate on August 12, 2025, but then in the morning sky.
While Venus can be seen longer and longer in the evening sky, Jupiter shortens its visibility.
At the end of the month it changes to the daytime sky and can then no longer be observed.
Then, in late May, Jupiter reappears low in the eastern sky in the morning.
Also see Mars and Mercury
In addition to Jupiter and Venus, Mars can also be seen at the moment, but it appears darker and darker.
The decrease in Mars brightness can be followed well on Aldebaran, the orange main star of Taurus, whose brightness remains constant.
Experienced observers can spot Mercury, which is close to the sun, at the end of the month with bright binoculars and a stable tripod.
About half an hour after sunset you have a chance to find the planet.
koe/dpa