During November, the two brightest planets in our solar system engage in a cosmic dance, aligning very close to each other in the night sky. In certain parts of the world, the Venus-Jupiter conjunction is a stunning event for stargazers, but down here in the Southern Hemisphere we dont get to have a Luke-on-Tatooine-style moment with two celestial objects.
Star Wars fan or not, you’re probably familiar with the twin suns of Tatooine that blaze over the desert planets night sky. Though Jupiter and Venus are the brightest planets, their brilliant illumination is somewhat blunted by their proximity to the sun, so you’re not going to be able to live out your Star Wars dreams here.
As you’ve probably heard, the planets will be visible just above the eastern horizon on the mornings of November 13 and 14. Unfortunately, the optimum viewing date has already passed – the reason you’re seeing it pop up on Google News and social media today is because the US is a day behind Australia.
In addition, the conjunction does not favour viewers in the Southern Hemisphere. For most Aussies, the celestial display will only be visible for approximately 15 minutes before sunrise and won’t climb more than about 7 degrees above the horizon. Which doesn’t sound like it’s worth getting up for.
Our advice? Stay in and watch Star Wars: A New Hope instead.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.