Planets Align February 25: Venus, Jupiter, Moon To Converge

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) — Stargazers of the world are getting a treat this weekend.

On Saturday and again Sunday, Venus, Jupiter and Earth's moon converge for a brilliant night show.

Venus and Jupiter already are lining up in the western sky. In mid-February, the two planets were 20 degrees apart from a viewing perspective. The gap narrows to 10 degrees by month's end.

A crescent moon joins the show this weekend for a triple combination. The celestial encounter will be visible from around the world at twilight. The moon will appear closer to Venus on Saturday and closer to Jupiter on Sunday.

The moon then retreats from view, but Venus and Jupiter keep drawing closer. The two planets will be just 3 degrees apart by mid-March.

___

Online:

NASA: http://tinyurl.com/7b8vt6w

Keep clicking for more amazing images of planetary phenomena.

Comments

[ZenSufi]

09:50 AM on 02/27/2012

Wait until the moon is in Taurus.

[SimianNation]

08:52 AM on 02/26/2012

Endless...pure...

[DECUBASANTIAGO]

06:45 AM on 02/26/2012

Sky makes me dream !! ... It's beautiful all these photos !!

Trip around sky is nice ... Great !!!

[KcajDam]

06:11 AM on 02/26/2012

: )

[TomMartin]

08:44 PM on 02/25/2012

Yes, it was beautiful this evening.

[maryk4d4]

08:14 PM on 02/25/2012

Makes me wish I had a telescope

[BLKCLK500]

06:29 PM on 02/25/2012

ITS THE HEAVENS TWEETING US A HAPPY FACE.

[Alois SaintMartin]

06:05 PM on 02/25/2012

I. saw T.S. Eliot on The Avenue this Evening while out walking " Sophie " my AKA Black Labrador Retriever; As he paused for a moment to check his Pocket Watch and share a few kind words. " it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, " He Quoted. " for good, or for evil " I. Replied. Yea, for good, or for evil, He echoed; for good, or for evil ~

[henrypapillon]

04:49 PM on 02/25/2012

Just a note to others of one curiosity I have discovered about viewing the stars. I live near Midland , Michigan, and it has two large chemical companies in the city, plus a an electrical power plant and all 3 have large towers with lights all over them at night. The one chemical company is one of the largest in the world and the other is quite large also. I live 8 miles outside the city and have traveled even farther into farm country to get a better view of forecast special sightings, only to be disappointed. Yet when I travel to my sister's place on the edge of Kalamazoo, a much larger city, I am amazed at how clear the view is. It is quite amazing to me how much this corona effect of all these night lights bouncing off the atmosphere ruins the sighting here for such a distance.

[sjw8eblvd]

04:49 PM on 02/25/2012

This is bad science and bad journalism. Two planets 20 degrees apart is hardly convergence. Great hyperbole in the headline "Planets Align February 25: Venus, Jupiter, Moon To Converge" does not make the event more important than it is. The fact that Jupiter and Venus will be closer in the sky each night into March means tonight's view is not that special. My HS astronomy students know better and so should you. If you want to encourage idiots to click on these headlines I suppose you are on the right track. If you want thinking people to dismiss you as a source of real news than you are on also on the right track.

[Ken Blackwell]

05:02 PM on 02/25/2012

yeah I'd much rather read about the Kardashians

[ARTHURANS34]

06:19 PM on 02/25/2012

go to fox

[deededoll]

06:26 PM on 02/25/2012

Go to CNN and they will tell you how good the economy is and how Obama is doing a great job.......50 millon on food stamps,Gas up 93%, food up 48% and the real unempolyment numbers are at 16% from 60min.....

[deededoll]

06:26 PM on 02/25/2012

Screw you H.P.....................

[nbj5215]

04:09 PM on 02/25/2012

I wonder what this will do to the gravitational pull on the earth. This event could trigger earthquakes and volcanic activity.

[carloarnone]

04:51 PM on 02/25/2012

It wont have any significant effects besides maybe "super tides"

[SwiftJonathan]

12:53 AM on 02/26/2012

The answer has been in Newton's equations for 400 years. Go and apply them.

[jacmed]

04:06 PM on 02/25/2012

I have been posting and reading posts on Huff since May of 2011, and I have two questions:
1) Why do posters feel the need to bring politics into every single thread?
2) Why do posters feel the need to give English, grammar, spelling, and punctuation lessons in every single thread?
IMHO, the first is just ignorant and he second is just rude.

[undrgrndgirl]

04:24 PM on 02/25/2012

3. why do posters go off topic and question what others do?
sometimes politics and grammar/english/spelling/punctuation lessons are necessary.

[rdprcl1]

04:33 PM on 02/25/2012

usually they have nothing to do with the topic at hand. completely agree with jacmed

[jacmed]

04:45 PM on 02/25/2012

If the thread is politics, undrgrndgirl, then political posts are appropriate. If the thread is education in the United States, then grammar/English/spelling/punctuation lessons are appropriate. Otherwise, they are not. I was commenting on all inappropriate posts on all theads; therefore, my comment was not off-topic because it is a topic that pertains to all threads.

[henrypapillon]

04:42 PM on 02/25/2012

1)   I didn't think of it until you brought it up, but I think you are just a Republican plant to take the fun out of this site.   2) I don't think your opinion is very humble.  3) You aint paying for this site so you don't control it. 4) If you don't like it ignore it.

[jacmed]

04:57 PM on 02/25/2012

Please, henrypapillon: 1) Don't call me nasty names! Furthermore, other people have brought up the same subject, just not in as general a way as I have, and I just can't understand why bringing politics or lessons into every thread would be considered fun. 2) Every opinion is humble unless the person expressing that opinion is trying to force others to see things their way - I never do that. 3) I'm not trying to control the site - I just asked two simple questions and expressed an opinion. 4) You apparently didn't like my comment, so why didn't you just ignore it?

[sitemfg]

03:56 PM on 02/25/2012

It is the end my friend, then end.

[greytunes]

05:07 PM on 02/25/2012

I know things look bleak right now, but don't forget to vote and please don't slam the "Doors" yet. Our country may live through the GOP/TP revolution.

[sbrannon]

03:31 PM on 02/25/2012

I was wondering what that other "bright star" was near venus, now i know! I am on the other side of the world, went outside and.....dang it is cloudy ;( maybe tomorrow night.

[tresbonbon]

03:23 PM on 02/25/2012

Can't wait until mid-March when Venus and Jupiter will be only 3º apart. I'll be in Botswana then where there will be no light to pollute the viewing. Woo-hoo!

[undrgrndgirl]

04:25 PM on 02/25/2012

sweet.

[mlondeaux]

08:14 PM on 02/25/2012

Lucky you, tres. I would be on cloud nine out there in Botswana, with just me and my telescope!