Tonight if you look west after sunset you will see both Jupiter and Venus almost touching each other. They will be just 20 arc minutes apart.
With the naked eye they may appear to be one object.
Try and get some photo guys. The forecast is for perfectly clear skies tonight. Any camera with a zoom will do.
[BAA-ebulletin 00863] Venus-Jupiter Conjunction: 2015 June 30
(c) 2015 British Astronomical Association http://www.britastro.org/
A short reminder to look out tonight for the close appulse of the two bright planets Venus and Jupiter in the western sky after sunset. For UK observers the weather looks to be very favourable and perhaps the best time to view the spectacle will be around 22.30 local time when they approach to within about 19' of each other. It should be well worth taking a look at the two planets in the same field of view using a medium-power eyepiece, say x100 - x150 magnification.
Venus will be especially brilliant at magnitude -4.4 visible as a 34% illuminated crescent some 32" across. Jupiter at magnitude -1.8, and also measuring 32" in size, has all four gallilean satellites on display: Ganymede being situated furthest from he planet and Io, Europa and Callisto strung out in a line diametrically opposite.
Tell your friends and family too - the conjunction should be quite a sight!
Richard Miles
2015 June 30 09:40
Thanks. I'm on it. :)
Would you believe it? I had to set up outside the observatory (because Venus/Jupiter is too low and slightly too North) and guess what? Distant storm clouds came up far enough just to obscure it, accompanied by lightning over the Channel.
:!
I only managed to see it from upstairs, with the binoculars. It's behind the trees down in the garden. They didn't appear to be that close, unless I was looking at something else (I caught a gap between the clouds).
Carole
Best i could do with my Nikon Coolpix, Maybe detail on Jupiter or just wishful thinking on my part?
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/apophis_ntl/Venus%20&%20Jupiter.JPG)
Roger
Best I could do. cloudy and too low. Canon and 300mm lens
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/488/18686114163_abfceb6dcd_b.jpg)
QuoteTry and get some photo guys. The forecast is for perfectly clear skies tonight. Any camera with a zoom will do.
So who do we blame for putting the dampner on clear skies....?..?...
Yeah too cloudy for me too.
Quote from: MarkS on Jun 30, 2015, 22:25:48
Would you believe it? I had to set up outside the observatory (because Venus/Jupiter is too low and slightly too North) and guess what? Distant storm clouds came up far enough just to obscure it, accompanied by lightning over the Channel.
:!
Ditto. :lipsrsealed: :cry:
Well done Fay and Roger.
Was a really unlucky night. Just about managed to get this when there was a break in the clouds with my Nikon D5100 attached to my Celestron 6" sct:
(http://gallery.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/albums/userpics/10066/DSC_0327.JPG)
Well done Jonathan.