A few minutes ago, at around 7 PM, during my usual evening walk on the terrace, I spotted two unusually bright objects low on the western horizon. I had recently read about Venus and Jupiter appearing close together in the sky over the next few days, and it clicked immediately.
I took a quick photo on my phone, shared it with ChatGPT, and asked: “I am in Chennai, near the beach, and I can see these two bright spots on the western horizon. What are they?”
The answer came back instantly: Venus and Jupiter. 🪐
It also explained that a conjunction is when two planets appear very close together in the sky from our viewpoint on Earth, even though they are actually separated by enormous distances in space. These conjunctions happen roughly every 13 months, but the more eye-catching ones are far less frequent. Tonight, the 9th of June, is actually the peak of this particular conjunction, the closest the two will appear in the evening sky until 2028.
If you are anywhere in India and have a clear view of the western horizon, you can still catch the pair for about an hour or two after sunset tonight, and over the next few evenings as well. 🌇
Do take a look if you can.
In our busy modern lives, we need reminders like these that we are part of nature, not just spectators. And unlike most things in life these days, Venus and Jupiter are still visible without a subscription plan. 😀
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