Venus and Saturn conjunction
On January 22, 2023, catch the dazzling planet Venus and far fainter planet Saturn close to one another after sundown. Begin wanting close to the place the solar simply set as twilight falls. As a bonus, it’s possible you’ll spot the younger waxing crescent moon nearer to the horizon. The sliver of a crescent moon will set about half-hour earlier than the planets. Then, the planets will disappear over the horizon roughly 90 minutes after sundown.
At their closest, Venus will cross 0.4 degrees (virtually the width of a full moon) from Saturn on the sky’s dome.
You shouldn’t have any drawback recognizing Saturn close to Venus with the attention alone. Each are vibrant planets! However Venus is way, a lot brighter. Do you’ve got binoculars or a telescope? These two worlds are so shut collectively from our perspective that they’ll match inside a single subject of view.
Saturn is shining at +0.7 magnitude. In the meantime, Venus shines at -3.9 magnitude. In actual fact, Venus ranks because the Third-brightest celestial physique within the sky, after the solar and moon. Venus is so dazzlingly vibrant that some sharp-sighted individuals may even see spot it in daylight.
Moon close to Venus and Saturn on January 23
Whereas Venus and Saturn could also be a bit farther away from one another on the dome of our sky on January 23, the moon has moved nearer to the planetary occasion. The 2 planets at the moment are over a level aside, and with the skinny waxing crescent moon so shut, they make a beautiful trio within the early night sky.
The view modifications with time relying in your location on the globe. A few of you – for instance, these within the Philippines – get to see Venus and Saturn lower than a half diploma aside on January 23 after they’re closest to the moon. For a extra exact star chart out of your location, strive Stellarium on-line.
Submit your photos of Venus, Saturn and the moon to EarthSky Community Photos.
Backside line: Catch the Venus and Saturn conjunction after sundown on January 22, 2023. They need to be straightforward to see when nightfall turns to darkness. The subsequent night, the moon joins them, making a beautiful sight.
