Skywatch: Jupiter and Venus dance in the sky, in March 2023
Don't waste any time, because March 2023 is an excellent opportunity to take photographs of the solar system.
The planets Jupiter and Venus will start to emerge in the early evening in the southwest sky. To see this spectacular celestial event, walk outside just after dusk.
Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the night sky, will appear to pass so near each other at the beginning of March month that it will be possible to capture them both with a long lens.
According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, they will embrace on March 2 from our earthly perspective, or conjunct in astronomical terms. They then pass one another.
And, as seen from the northern hemisphere, it's a post-sunset event that starts relatively high in the sky at dusk before sinking lower in the southwestern sky.
Because of this, it is perfect for framing beside trees, mountains, or buildings, when they’re close to the horizon.
March 1, 2023: Venus and Jupiter appulse
When two planets appear to pass close to each other when viewed from Earth, the event is called a conjunction.
When it's super-close, it's called an appulse. That’s what happens tonight when the ‘Evening Star’ and the gas giant will appear to come to within just half a degree of each other.
That's less than half the full moon’s width and the closest they’ll appear to be for several years.
It happens every year, but in 2023 it will be extra special because Venus will be shining much brighter than Jupiter.
Use different lenses for different effects. Try a few seconds at ISO 200 to 400 with the lens at f/2.8 to f/4.
Earth's neighbor 'Venus', which is the enchanting, brighter planet, may be seen at a magnitude of -3.9, according to the observatory.
While the gaseous giant planet Jupiter is much further away, we can view it at -2.1 magnitude, which is bright enough to sight from urban, light-polluted areas.
Jupiter drops into the western horizon throughout March. The planet will hide near the sun for a while but will reappear in late spring as a morning planet.
Throughout the rest of the spring and into the middle of summer, Venus enthralls western skywatchers.