Overview
- The planets reached their closest apparent approach on June 9, 2026, sitting about 1.6 degrees apart low in the western sky shortly after sunset and visible to the naked eye.
- Venus dominated the view as the far brighter object while Jupiter appeared nearby, a visual effect caused by Earth’s viewpoint rather than physical proximity between the two worlds.
- Planetariums and observatories reported heavy turnout for June 9 events, with some sites hosting thousands of visitors and public programs using telescopes and astrophotography stations.
- The Virtual Telescope Project and other livestreams provided global access for viewers in cloudy or distant locations and recorded the pairing for later viewing.
- Skywatchers have more chances to enjoy the lineup this week as Mercury joins the scene June 11–15 to form a short planetary parade and a crescent Moon will align with the planets around June 16–17, creating another photogenic opportunity.