(ORDO NEWS) — Early in the morning of April 30, 2022, we will have the opportunity to see Venus and Jupiter “virtually collide” as they move incredibly close to each other from our vantage point.
In fact, according to NASA, the two planets will converge in the night sky, and to the naked eye they will appear to merge into one giant luminous mass.
Those with binoculars or a telescope will be able to see the two objects more clearly. The planets will be 0.2 degrees apart at their closest approach, slightly less than the angular distance of the full moon.
The spectacle will be seen again in the wee hours of May 1st.
Of course, the planets aren’t actually close to each other at all – their orbits will just appear to line up from our view of the night sky here on Earth.
In reality, the planets will be 690 million kilometers apart, more than four times the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
The two planets will be most visible an hour before dawn when looking east.
Venus will be at magnitude -4 and Jupiter will be shining at magnitude -2.1. The full moon, for comparison, shines at -12.7.
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