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Venus and Saturn Align in Western Twilight on March 7–8

Best views come about 45 minutes after sunset low in the west with a clear horizon.

Overview

  • NASA says the planets will sit about one degree apart, roughly the width of a finger held at arm’s length.
  • The pairing is visible to the naked eye, though binoculars or a telescope can sharpen Saturn and may reveal its rings, while a waning gibbous moon and clouds could reduce contrast.
  • On Saturday Saturn appears slightly above Venus, then on Sunday Venus shifts higher as it continues brightening in the evening sky.
  • Their closeness is only a line-of-sight effect, with the worlds actually separated by roughly a billion miles.
  • Saturn is sliding toward solar conjunction around March 25 and will drop from evening view until it reappears before dawn in April, as Venus climbs higher through spring.