Conjunction of Jupiter & Venus August 2016

Conjunction Background: Occasionally, two or more objects meet up with each other in our sky. Astronomers use the word conjunction to describe these meetings. The word conjunction comes from Latin, meaning to join together.
In astronomy, a conjunction occurs when two astronomical objects or spacecraft appear to be close to each other in the sky.
This means they have either the same right ascension or the same ecliptic longitude, usually as observed from Earth.
When two objects always appear close to the ecliptic—such as two planets, the Moon and a planet, or the Sun and a planet—this fact implies an apparent close approach between the objects as seen in the sky.
A related word, appulse, is the minimum apparent separation in the sky of two astronomical objects.
Conjunctions involve either two objects in the Solar System or one object in the Solar System and a more distant object, such as a star. A conjunction is an apparent phenomenon caused by the observer's perspective: the two objects involved are not actually close to one another in space.
Conjunctions between two bright objects close to the ecliptic, such as two bright planets, can be seen with the naked eye.
You can keep up to date with upcoming conjunctions by visiting 'Earthsky.org'

Description: August 27, 2016, the sky's two brightest planets Venus and Jupiter staged the year's closest conjunction of two planets.
These worlds appear only about 1/15th degree apart on the sky's dome. This is the closest conjunction we will see at least for the next 40 years.
How close is that? Well, 1/15th of a degree is the equivalent of about 1/7th to 1/8th of the moon's apparent diameter.
Venus and Jupiter are there to be enjoyed. These two worlds rank as the third-brightest and fourth-brightest celestial bodies to light up the heavens, after the sun and moon.
It might seem odd to talk about the Star of Bethlehem during the month of August, rather than December, when the celebration of Christmas prompts many people to recount the biblical story of three wise men guided to the birthplace of Jesus Christ by a bright object in the sky.
There have been numerous possible scientific explanations of what the Star of Bethlehem may have been.
And whether you believe in the story of the star or not, one of those proposed possibilities will played out in the night sky soon after sundown on Saturday evening (Aug. 27): an exceedingly close encounter between the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter.

Conjunction of Jupiter & Venus

Imaging Details

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