Stunning images captured Venus shining brightly alongside the Moon during a rare celestial event visible across parts of the UK after sunset. Amateur astronomer Stuart Atkinson highlighted the mesmerizing sight of Venus and the Moon close together. This display is expected to continue into tomorrow night before Venus moves further from the Sun, reaching its maximum distance on January 9th or 10th. Additionally, four other planets—Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn—will also be visible shortly after sunset on January 5. The planetary alignment, known as a “conjunction,” offers a unique perspective of the planets from Earth, with Venus as the brighter of the pair.
Stunning photos show Venus dazzling in the darkness tonight as a rare cosmic phenomenon takes place.
The planet could be seen hovering above the moon from some parts of the UK just hours after sunset this evening.
Stunned spectators took to social media, sharing incredible images of the unusual event.
Amateur astronomer Stuart Atkinson captioned the photo: “If you look southwest after sunset tonight, you’ll see a beautiful sight: Venus and the Moon shining very close together in the twilight.” posted a snapshot of
“This pair looks gorgeous to the naked eye, but if you have binoculars, they’ll look even more impressive when viewed through them.”
This celestial show is also expected to be visible tomorrow night, before Venus moves away from the Sun.
The solar system’s hottest planet will reach its furthest distance from the sun on January 9th or 10th.
Venus won’t be the only one putting on a show this month, as four other planets will also be visible to the naked eye.
According to EarthSky, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn will be visible on January 5, about 90 minutes after sunset.
It will happen just as stargazers around the world admired a spectacular celestial embrace between Earth’s two neighboring planets in 2023.
Stunning photos show Venus shining brightly in the night sky during a rare cosmic phenomenon. Photo: Venus and the Moon seen from Whitley Bay, North Tyneside
Photo: The moon and planet Venus shine brightly above Fish Quay in North Shields, Tyne and Wear
Photo: A crescent moon near Venus in the evening sky over Sheerness, Kent
The moon lights up the night sky above buildings in Sheerness, Kent
Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the sky, have come so close that it appears they are about to collide, or perhaps even ‘kiss’.
Officially, the two have performed a “conjunction.” This is when two celestial bodies appear close together in the sky when observed from Earth.
To the human eye, Venus and Jupiter appear to be next to each other, but in reality they are still 400 million miles (600 million km) apart.
Meanwhile, Mercury, the solar system’s smallest planet, will soon be visible from Earth once it reaches its maximum elongation from the Sun.
People who lived in London’s Leytonstone had spectacular views of cosmic phenomena
This image shows Venus floating above the moon in Belfast today
Photo: Night sky over Rochester, Kent tonight
Jake Foster, astronomy educator at the Royal Museums Greenwich, told MailOnline: “This kind of alignment in the sky, also known as a planetary parade, only occurs from our perspective here on Earth.”
“During these events, the planets themselves are not physically aligned in space, which means the perceived alignment is unique to our perspective.”
Over the past week, the two planets have moved closer and closer together, becoming visible in the western sky shortly after sunset.
Venus is the brighter of the two, while Jupiter is darker and yellowish in color.
For the past few days, Venus has appeared to be moving away from the horizon and rising into the sky, while Jupiter is doing the opposite.
Fortunately for stargazers, Venus will continue to shine in the western sky as it increases in altitude for several more months.
Amateur astronomer Stuart Atkinson captioned the snapshot: “Look southwest after sunset tonight and you’ll see a beautiful view. Venus and the Moon shining very close together in the twilight.” posted to X.
Photo: Over Woodford Green, Essex
This is a striking photo of the Moon and Venus taken from Horsham, West Sussex.
Here, the crescent moon and Venus are seen together next to the Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara, Turkey.
Meanwhile, Jupiter will disappear below the horizon and will only be visible for a few more weeks.
So if you miss it, you still have a chance to admire the planets in the sky after sunset tonight.
Jupiter shines twice as brightly as Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, and Venus is six times brighter than the gas giant.
They are still quite low on the horizon, so finding a spot on a hill away from tall buildings will give you a good view.
