Dazzling Threesome Dances Into Twilight Sky This Weekend

By BETH DALBEY (Patch Staff)

Skywatchers are in for a treat over the next couple of nights when the moon, Venus and Jupiter, the brightest, second-brightest and third-brightest night-time celestial bodies, respectively, make an appearance in the western sky just after sunset.

The queen and king of planets – dazzling Venus and bold Jupiter – appear to be on a collision course, and a waxing crescent moon makes it a threesome, Earthsky.org reports.

If you plan to catch the glorious threesome, watch after the sunset tonight (Friday), because they will appear to slip below the horizon by early to mid evening. The crescent moon sets first, followed by Venus and Jupiter.

On subsequent nights, the moon will be a little higher in the western twilight. For viewing conditions, check your local forecast. On Long Island and New York City, Friday and Saturday will likely be the best bets to catch the sky show as the remnants of Tropical Depression Bill are expected to wash out Father’s Day on Sunday.

While you’re gazing, look for Regulus, sometimes called the Heart of the Lion in the constellation Leo.

As the month progresses and into early July, Venus and Jupiter align in what will be the planets’ closest conjunction until Aug. 27, 2016.

The best nights to view Venus as it passes Jupiter are the nights of June 30 and July 1, according to EarthSky.org. Unless it’s cloudy, it will be hard to miss the spectacular alignment, because Venus and Jupiter are the third- and fourth-brightest celestial bodies, respectively, after the Sun and Moon.

The planets will appear to race closer to Regulus, located above Jupiter above Jupiter, with each passing day. Regulus is the brightest star in the Leo the Lion constellation.

While you’ve got your eyes fixed toward the heavens, make a mental note – or, better yet, bookmark this page for easy referral later on – of two big meteor showers, the Delta Aquarids and Perseids, according to the website SeaSky.org.

The Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower: The remnant of two different comets, Marsden and Kracht, this shower runs from July 12-Aug. 23, peaking overnight on July 28th and into the morning of the 29th. Normal sightings are in the 20-per-hour range, but a full moon on the 31st will wash out all but the brightest meteors.

The Perseids Meteor Shower: Leftovers from the Swift-Tuttle comet, the Perseids are favorite among many skywatchers. Visible from July 17-Aug. 24, they will peak overnight on Aug. 12 with 60 sightings per hour. The show should be amazing this year with a new moon on the 14th making for dark skies.

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Photo via Earthsky.org