Overview
- Venus and Jupiter reached an apparent separation of about 1.6 degrees Tuesday, creating a striking, naked-eye 'kiss' low in the western twilight.
- The best viewing window was brief—roughly 20 to 60 minutes after sunset depending on location—so clear western horizons and simple optics improved the sighting.
- Planetariums and science centers ran free public sessions while the Virtual Telescope Project livestreamed the event, producing extensive photos and archived footage.
- Mercury joined the lineup for a short three-planet parade from June 11–15, and a thin crescent Moon is expected to join Venus and Jupiter around June 16–17.
- The close pairing is a perspective effect: Venus is much closer and far brighter (around −3.9 mag) while Jupiter sits hundreds of millions of miles farther away, and the display offered easy photo and binocular opportunities for the public.