Stargazers are in for a treat: planets Venus and Jupiter are scheduled to form a close conjunction this weekend on Aug. 27.
The month of August 2016 is considered a natural celestial tour of the Solar System, according to NASA. This month, a lot of planets are on display and are visible in the night sky even without the use of telescopes. The alignment of Saturn, Mars and the Antares star just occurred on Aug. 24 while the anticipated Venus and Jupiter conjunction will immediately follow on Aug. 27.
Venus and Jupiter are considered as the two brightest planets, and seeing them in conjunction is a sight to behold for astronomy enthusiasts. Before the conjunction, the five brightest planets, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars are visible in the night sky. The movement of the moon will highlight each of the planets as it glides along the sky throughout the month.
"On Aug. 27 Venus and Jupiter will converge on the sunset sky, only about one fifteen of a degree apart," a NASA official said in a video released by Science at NASA. The two planets will be very close to each other making them impossible to miss in the western horizon. Although the planets seem to touch, they are actually million miles away from each other.
Stargazers can expect to see both planets looking like one bright star, according to ZeeNews. This is one celestial show that stargazers won't miss. To witness the conjunction, spectators can wait for 30 to 40 minutes after sunset on Saturday.
The conjunction will be visible all over the world, provided that there is a clear sky. A binocular is also recommended to get a better view of the conjunction. The next conjunction won't happen until 2065, so this will be the best chance of witnessing the celestial extravaganza for this generation.