What are those bright lights over the skies of Vancouver Island? Are they aliens? UFOs? Nope, just planets, but they are doing something pretty unique.
From March 1st through the month, two lights will be appearing far brighter than any other stars in the sky, or the moon for that matter.
Venus and Jupiter, the second and fifth planets in our solar system got as close as they ever could to one another on March 1st.
They were still thousands of kilometres apart but they appear to the human eye to be crossing each other’s path which makes them the brightest celestial objects in the night’s sky.
The phenomenon is called a celestial kiss.
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On the evening of March 2nd, even though clouds loomed over Greater Victoria, the pair of planets could be seen shining bright through the clouds.
Since they appeared to cross one another’s path on March 1st, they will still appear to be magnificently bright in the night’s sky.
All February long, the two got closer and brighter with every passing day. Now, the same process will occur but in reverse. Every day the two planets will appear to get a little bit more dim as they separate from their conjunction.
As the gas giant and Venus appear to separate though, Jupiter will be passing by a razor thin crescent moon on March 22nd, then it will pass near Mercury’s position in the night’s sky on March 27th.
Mars will be hardly visible but present high in the southern sky and Saturn is ‘out of the loop’ but by the end of the month may be visible near dawn.
The next readily observable celestial kiss between Jupiter and Venus of this magnitude that will see the two planets cross paths will be on February 7th, 2032.
If you are hoping to catch a picture of the celestial phenomenon while the planets are still bright, your best bet is to bring a tripod and your camera to High Rock Park in Esquimalt or PKOLS (Mount Douglas).
