Venus-Jupiter conjunction: when is it and where will it appear in Puerto Rico?

March will kick off this year with an astronomical event that promises a 24-hour show: the The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter.

A conjunction is the moment when two stars are seen from Earth as if they were at the same point in the sky, even though they are actually separated by many miles.

In this case, the event will be represented by the planets Venus and Jupiter, the brightest in the solar system, highlighted by the cum Caribbean Astronomical Society (bag), Nelson Ortega.

“Due to the position in which the Earth is located, the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter can be seen once a year. However, it is appropriate to take advantage of this 2023 as much as possible, because everything points to the fact that in 2024 it will happen very close to the Sun, and the illumination is The high altitude will prevent us from seeing this long-awaited approach, ”the astronomer pointed out The new day.

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Pairing will start tomorrow, March 1, and will continue through the next day. however, The closest point between the two planets will be reached at 1:05 am on March 2.

“The approach will be basically all night. We will see Venus and Jupiter very close,” Ortega noted.

And as for how to appreciate the event, he advised him to do so From a location with little or no light pollution and looking west.

“From any part of the island it will be possible to see the sunset. Even when we have little sun, it can be seen very clearly, because the planets Venus and Jupiter are very bright.”

Looking west during conjunction, you’ll see a bright spot on the left and a brighter spot on the right, corresponding to Jupiter and Venus, respectively.

“Although Venus is smaller, it appears much brighter than Jupiter. Ortega stressed that because of the atmosphere of Venus, when the sun’s rays hit it, the planet lights up more.

The next conjunction will also be in March, precisely on the 22nd, when the Moon and Jupiter will be estimated at their closest point.

However, the next astronomical event will be the vernal equinox which will occur at 5:44 PM (Puerto Rican time) on March 20th.