Jupiter And Venus Are Destined To Come Together In A Rare Conjunction. Why?
Jupiter and Venus are two of the brightest planets in our solar system and they orbit the Sun at different distances. From our perspective on Earth, we see these planets move across the sky at different rates, with Venus moving faster because it is closer to the Sun. Occasionally, these planets appear to come close to each other in the sky, a phenomenon known as a conjunction.
The reason for this conjunction is due to the planets’ orbital paths around the Sun. Venus orbits the Sun in about 225 Earth days, while Jupiter takes about 12 Earth years to complete one orbit. Due to these differing orbital periods, the two planets appear to meet up in the sky roughly every 19.6 months, which is known as a synodic period.
The conjunction of Jupiter and Venus is rare because it depends on the specific alignment of the planets’ orbital paths and the timing of their synodic periods. While conjunctions between Venus and Jupiter occur roughly every 19.6 months, not all of them are visible from Earth or occur in the same part of the sky. This upcoming conjunction on March 2, 2023, is particularly notable because the two planets will appear very close to each other in the sky, creating a beautiful and rare celestial event.